(Photo courtesy Supreet Dhiman)
I lose no opportunity in bragging about being a rationalist. I believe I look at things through the specs of logic and am not impressed by Godmen, their miracles and superstitions. And now for my little story.
I am amused to see persons with white turbans and a can with a little bit of mustard oil asking for money on Saturdays invoking the name of Lord Shiva. On a Saturday last month, I was waiting at the red traffic light when one such person approached me. I asked him for a string of green chillies and lemon which they distribute for a price. He gave me a piece and asked for ten rupees which I paid. It had seven chillies and a small little lemon. The traffic light was still red so I asked him tauntingly, sounding as innocent as I could, "What do you do for the remaining six days of the week?" His simple and honest reply was "I sell baloons". The light turned to amber and then to green and I moved on.
Back at home I hung that little garland of chillies and lemon on the front top of my kitchen’s door frame.
I went out of station for trip abroad and returned yesterday. I was surprised to notice that while the 7 chillies of the garland were there, though turned brown, the lemon was missing. I have tried hard to look around on the floor in case it had fallen but have not been able to find it. There is no way a rat could have climbed up.
Quite interestingly the trip on which I had gone out of station had to be aborted as my passport got stolen. I know 7 chillies and a lemon string is used to ward-off evil spirits or jealous glances. I also know that it is tempting to link the issue of loss of my passport and disappearance of the lemon.
But as I said, I do not believe in miracles or superstitions. Of course I have no logical explanation for the disappearance of the lemon and I am still looking for a rational answer.
“The Case of the Missing Lemon” as Earl Stanley Gardner would have called it.
