In Vacant or in Pensive Mood

One Sunday afternoon, I sat with a few cousins, my brother-in-law, and my youngest uncle, playing a game of Monopoly . When a certain argument started out at one point in the game, we had to refer the rules in order to settle it. The argument was regarding a certain sum of money I was to pay my brother-in-law. My brother-in-law claimed one thing, saying he always played the game online and that he knew the rules. I claimed that the rule with the traditional version of the game was different, and so we decided to look it up. My uncle, who played the ‘banker’ (and, for those who know the game, the person with the last say in Monopoly), read the rules and proclaimed it in favour of my brother-in-law. I wouldn’t have worried if it had been a fair decision. However, on reading the rule, it was pretty clear that the situation was actually in my favour. But the men had just decided it was more convenient for them the other way. Well, what could I say? It was the word of two people against ...

Walking towards my office building one morning, I looked skyward and noticed a few eagles soaring overhead. As I watched them, I was reminded of the white-chested sea eagles I had seen at the Vandaloor Zoo a few days ago. I tried to see if the eagles soaring above me were also white-chested. But they were way too far up for me to see the colour of their chests. I stood there for some time, looking up and thinking how much fun it must be to fly that high up and not even bother to flap your wings. Even as I thought this, my mind switched back to a picture of the eagles in the zoo, and the contrast stung me. I felt a little sad for the eagles in the zoo, for obvious reasons; they don’t get to do those fly-highs they must be so good at. All they get to do is to perch on low branches all day and stare at people who stare back at them or click their pictures. But then again, I argued with myself positively, the eagles in the zoo are being taken good care of. They are all well-fed and ha...