Ophidiophobia to Odontophobia

I was born in a very small village with a population of approximately 300 people. As a child I knew only one animal, I thought it was the king of all animals or it could be a national animal as it was the only dominant creature in the village. Its number was probably more than number of people in the village!

That animal is called ‘Pig’.

I was totally acquainted with its everyday life till I was 3 and then my father got transferred to another small town before my PhD in Pig’s ‘lifestyle’.

In the new town’s new house my father was doing something on his face with a razor, I was standing on a chair looking at him wondering what exactly is he doing to his face and I heard my mother screaming ‘SNAKEEEEE’, she came running to my father and there was this black sticky ugly animal came crawling after her.

The person I was most scared of - my mother - was scared of this ugly sticky thing so I assumed that it had to be something deadly. I saw it and it was extreme amounts of fear at first sight! 

But it seems the snake species was in love with me. It followed me wherever I lived after that. I was carrying a can one day and later realized that there was a snake tightly coiled around it.  I have seen many many snakes up close after that. 

Our relationship lasted for several years - until we moved to a city.

In this modern age having a relationship with anyone for years without any personal benefits is remarkable… isn’t it? Yes that way it was very loyal.

On the occasion of ‘Nagpanchami’ I had gone to my friend’s house where a snake charmer was performing his tricks such as snake dancing on the beats of whatever instrument he was playing. 

This snake somehow escaped from the small basket, everybody got scared and started running including me. I ran straight to my house without my shoes on, stopped, looked behind and I saw the snake charmer putting Cobra in his basket (which was strolling on the road by the way).

 
I was suddenly enlightened with the fact that snakes don’t run as fast as we do. Thank goodness it was not one of the group members trained for the movie ‘Nagina’!

Now I am in the US, staying in one of the tallest building in downtown.
Sometimes I feel what if in the process of evolution snakes learn to crawl and climb on buildings…

Aah, but at least today it scares me only in my dreams – there is some other person who has taken snake’s place in my heart...

My first encounter with my ‘new fear’ was when I was in second year of graduation.
In our first meeting he was carrying a drilling machine. Nah, he was not a construction worker, he is called a ‘Dentist’.

 
This person scared me more than ALL the snakes in my life did.
First meeting (compared to all other meetings) was still ok.

When I went to this dentist second time some dentistry students were sitting there waiting for their prey. As soon as I opened my mouth to show the doctor my decayed molar, 4/5 other ‘hunters’ poked their heads forward.

 
Arjuna saw the entire universe when ‘Krishna’ opened his mouth but showing someone horribly decayed teeth was tooooo embarrassing. Specially so because I was 18-19 and the students were 22-23 (that’s my guess).

Some of them were smart but after seeing my teeth they must have been petrified and I had lost all my prospects of going on a date! I mean I am assuming that I had not lost my prospects before opening my mouth. 

I had to change my doctor and started going to my dentist cousin so that my teeth matter will not be disclosed to anyone outside my family!

Even a thought of a dentist or snake brings shivers to my spine.

 
I prey to the universe everyday to give me a peaceful life with no encounter with these 2 species. The prayers haven't been successful so far.

Are you guys afraid of something? Do let me know in the comments section!

The Blue Umbrella

It is a story of a small girl who has a blue umbrella and how deeply she is in love with it. Entire movie revolves around the blue umbrella.
One day somebody steals it and the little girl’s life is devastated. She stops eating and stops playing with friends.
At a certain point I felt it was exaggerated. Whose life will be dull and unhappy by losing such a trivial thing like an umbrella?
After thinking for a while I felt everybody must be having some non-living thing which is very dear to them.

But my doubt was resolved when I thought about my own life…

Have I ever had something like this girl had her blue umbrella?

Yes I did …

In my case it’s my ink pen. I have had it since I was in 9th grade. I used it in every exam after that. I wouldn’t give it to anyone even to try. I thought if someone else used it then my handwriting would become like the person who used it. Not that I have good handwriting but it’s not that bad.
(I mean not as bad as people who have handwriting that could be understood by the only person who taught them how to write!)

I would say all doctors should have an exquisite ink pen like I have… It would be another subject of discussion as to why 99% doctors have hideous handwriting.

I have this strong feeling that my handwriting became better after I started using this pen. I was in unfathomable love with this pen. If you are using something for such a long time then you will be too much used to it and take its presence for granted.

One fine day when I wanted to write I started looking for my pen and could not find it, I searched for it all over the place and when I didn’t get it anywhere in the house, I panicked…

I wasted hours looking for it… asked everyone in the family if they saw it… I annoyed every family member with stories of my pen and I, how happy we were together and in fact it was manufactured only for me…
I tried watching some TV just to forget about it but instead of watching the program running on TV I kept picturizing things like how I used to write with it, how long I have been using it… it feels so soft while writing… my handwriting looks like black (and sometimes blue) pearls when I write with it (that’s what I thought!)…my pen looked so good… when and where did I use it last time… and most of all where did I keep it.

I kept pondering about it for 2 days… I wouldn’t talk about anything but the pen. If I saw any family member relaxing in the house I would tell them to use their time doing some fruitful thing; such as looking for my pen. In college I would keep gazing at what people were writing with and in mind I would keep comparing that my pen was so much better than anyone else’ in the class.

And then after a very long wait of 2 days I found it, I was in seventh heaven. After the incidence I became more cautious in its use, Nah not too much, only thing is I used to lock it in my table’s drawer (I am fortunate enough not to have lost the key to the drawer!) The first thing that I put in the bag while packing for the US was my dear pen.

What the girl goes through in the movie is more or the same what I went through. After remembering about my ink pen I enjoyed the movie more … it felt realistic. Pankaj kapoor is at his best in the movie. Direction is also extra-ordinary. This movie is different than the usual song/ dance Hindi cinema. Different concept…worth watching…