Sudden insight

Before my mother could react, the man sitting on the upper berth intervened in a manner typical of many Indians who consider it their birthright to provide explanations, “Oh, he has a ‘looking at London and talking to Tokyo’ type of problem.” Amidst the giggles his remark prompted from some, it dawned on mother that the boy had a squint.

His parents looked uncomfortable. While the boy continued to look down, expressionless, his mother glared at the man on the upper berth and remarked to mother, “If he had been blind, these people would have been compassionate. But thanks to his ‘funny disability’, he will only be ridiculed. And he has dreams of doing something big, ‘reaching for the stars’”. Mother’s face was ashen with guilt.

The atmosphere in the compartment had turned quite leaden now. Suddenly the boy spoke up, “Please don’t feel bad about what mom said. I find myself having an advantage. If I want, I can look at the answer sheet of the fellow next to me and no one would know!” He added cheerfully, “Haven’t felt the need to do that though.” His father butted in, “He is an exemplary student.”

By then the atmosphere had lightened up. “And just to explain why I was smiling earlier,” the boy went on, pointing to the unfinished crossword on father’s lap, “The eight-letter noun for ‘a situation with lack of variety’ would be ‘monotony’, not ‘marriage’!” Everyone, including father, burst into laughter. Mother turned misty-eyed at the spirit of the boy. She told his mother, “You know something, your son should not even try to reach for the stars. He is one!”