ON silver sands on a beachfront a pair of reading glasses looked myopically at the sea. They belonged to me. I discovered they were missing only after reaching home. Couldn’t find my spare pair either, nor the ones made for computer screens. I could do everything but read. The morning papers arrived the next day: “Don’t strain your eyes!” said my wife. I did and smiled, how different was the news.
“Awesome!” I shouted as I read the headlines, “Israel and the Palestinians are going to sit and work things out!” A little farther I read how Putin had finally decided to go home and leave Ukraine alone!” “What about the NATO threat?” I pondered aloud. “Putin wants to join NATO!” I read farther. “That’s fantastic!” I cried, “It says Putin found out he and Trump are brothers and that’s changed his heart towards fighting a proxy war with the west!” I held newspaper closer and my eyeballs nearly fell out in sheer astonishment, “The people of Pakistan and India have decided not to bash their players up if their team loses to other team!” I shouted, “They’re even exploring if spectators can applaud for a good shot or brilliant delivery of an opposing batsman or bowler without being booked for sedition!” I shouted jumping around the room.
“Be careful!” said the wife, “I don’t need broken limbs and a blind husband!” “Who needs glasses!” I shouted jubilantly, “Peace is round the corner!” I switched on television, “The anchor looks so calm and peaceful!” I whispered. I walked over to the window and looked out, “Hey,” I cried, “Look at Mr Hussein walking along with Mr Kumar! I wonder where they’re going?”
“Are you sure you’re seeing right?” asked my wife anxiously. “Never better!” I shouted, “The world is changing!” The doorbell rang, “Sir,” said a man smiling at the door, “we found these glasses at the beach!” “Thank you!” I said and put them on; the man was not smiling, he was scowling. I looked at the newspaper, “Gujarat releases rapists!” I ran to the TV, it was showing bodies piling up in the Ukraine. I stared at the newspaper again, “Israel kills Palestinians!” read the headlines.
The anchor was yelling about China sending planes to Taiwan as Twitter owner Musk fired the rest of his employees! I threw the glasses on the floor in anguish. “Why didn’t you leave my glasses where you found them?” I cried, but the man had already left, “It was a wonderful world, without them!”
On silver sands on the beachfront, the sea looked where my glasses had lain, “Maybe the world needs to stop looking too closely at each other’s faults!” it sighed, “maybe it’s time you all threw your glasses away, even temporarily, and realize a world without fights and skirmishes is worth working towards..!”
