In an age when reading is declining, ‘reading glasses’ is a bit of a misnomer. Gujaratis have a more apt word for these — betala, after betalis, ie, 42 — the age when most have to cope with hypermetropia.However, I avoided a betala even after reaching it — the urge to defy age gets stronger with age, you see. But there was another reason. An equally sound one. Slight impairment of vision, I realised, had its brighter side, it literally made you gloss over the rough edges of life. Looked closely, things look prettier than they are.However, recently I too acquired the precious accessory, if only, for the comfort of reading while travelling. Alas, ever since I have begun to unwittingly notice less attractive parts of everything. One Sunday, just to update myself on current marital preferences, I glanced at the matrimonial ads. I found match seekers have become too choosy. Caste is passé. Now, it’s the sub-caste. What if you are a Brahmin? You had to be a KBJ —(Kanyakubja) or SPN (Saryupareen) — make the cut. And in most cases, the aspirants were asked to send BHP-H for horoscope.I also began to notice the soft underbelly of the ads of other products: the fine print. My daughter wanted to buy a laptop. The ad of a well-known brand boasted of the latest features but small print had this warning: the information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The ad of a well-known private educational institute offered graduate and post-grad courses on great subjects. But the fine print was a dampener. It said: “All degrees are not recognised by AICTE/AIU/Govt of India.One day, flipping the pages of a high-circulation local newspaper, the ad of an economy-class car caught my eye. It boasted of some attractive features. Not to be taken in, I looked at the bottom. But even my new glasses were of no help in deciphering the fine print. The letters were too fuzzy. Decoding Egyptian hieroglyphs, I thought, would have been easier. Well, it didn’t matter. One wasn’t going to buy it. But I did make a mental note of buying another visual aid: the magnifying glass.As for beauty, the age I hope would give one the perspective to see it beyond the rough edges. And wrinkles.
