Shankar's thoughts!

Shankar was busy staring at his mirror. Mirrors, he knows, are ruthless. But, he never expected his mirror to be so candid. The image it reflected back was not to Shankar’s liking. No doubt, it was his image! But, he could not stand the small patch of baldness above his forehead.

The bald patch has emerged at a central and visible location of his head. He found it impossible to conceal it.

He knew this day has to come.

A few weeks ago, he noticed few strands of his hair by his pillow. Ever since that, he had been noticing hair strands almost every day. Not only by his pillow, he suddenly saw his hair almost everywhere – on his towel, the breakfast plate and even on his favorite newspaper.

He thought his hair-fall had been gradual. But, he thought, his head had lost patience and has revealed the bald patch with a great sense of urgency.

Now, he quickly went over the facts. Rangan and the other friends would visit him anytime. They all must have had their breakfast by now. He looked at his face again on the mirror, hoping to see a better image. But, the image made his to sulk further. He was not sure of the reason for its sulkiness – was it his baldness or the worry it had brought.

He could hear footsteps by his room. He knew by the sounds, that it is Venkat by the door. Venkat has a very unique way of walking. Was Venkat born with that type of a walk, or did he acquire it aping his childhood-hero? How would he have walked a few years ago? Shankar suddenly realized the drift of his thoughts. He quickly came back to the present.

He waited for the knock and heard a faint one. Shankar moved to the door and found the old-age home’s manager standing there. The manager, a friendly man of about 75 years, smiled at him. Shankar, one of the inmates of the old-age home knew the reason for the manager’s smile. It only meant that he is about to get a new room-mate.

Shankar, the 85-year old inmate of the home for orphaned elders, was all smiles as he moved to the front office to meet his new room-mate.

As he moved his wheel-chair to the front office, Shankar did not have the time to nurse any further thoughts of his baldness. Those unpleasant thoughts, his boyish heart knew, can wait for now.

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