The Case of the Missing Sunglasses

On his way to Kerala, my friend halted his car near Mettur dam to admire the nature. I was amused when he talked about the nature and dam in the same breath. Is it really nature after building a dam? Aren’t we distorting the nature with the dam? Moreover, aren’t dams dangerous? The water levels are alarmingly high on one side and there is little water coming out of the other side. It is as if water is constantly rebelling against the wall to break free. The wall that was designed by a fellow human being who may be prone to errors.

In the process of admiring the nature, the sunglasses worn by him became an impediment. The nature was doctored before it reached his eyes. He removed his sunglasses grudgingly. He loved his sunglasses. It was evident to all his friends in the way he boasted about the brand Fastrack and in the way he put it on as soon as he spotted a camera. A brief period of time elapsed while he looked around for a suitable holding place for the sunglasses. Finally, he placed the sunglasses on the roof of his car. It was within reach now, never out of his sight. Then, he took a deep breath to fill his lungs with a load of fresh air. After the reinvigoration process, he resumed his journey.

Very soon, he realized his sunglasses were missing and hit on the brakes. By that time, he had travelled for a few minutes and quite a distance. After doing the math in his mind about the whereabouts of the sunglasses, he stepped out of the car to check the roof. The sunglasses might still be there! For someone who doesn’t know my friend, this will seem logical. But knowing his penchant for speed, I classified this move as overly optimistic. The sunglasses weren’t on the roof.

He languished in despair thinking about a future without the Fastrack glasses. He contemplated a reconnaissance operation on the road he travelled. While absentmindedly staring at the road, he noticed a moped coming from the direction of the dam. He decided on asking the rider about the missing sunglasses. He was hoping against hope. A crowd might have gathered around the sunglasses wherever it was lost. This rider would have noticed the crowd. Hence, the rider will be able to lead him to his precious possession.

As the distance between them became closer, the rider shifted to right side of the road away from the side of the road where my friend had parked his car. My friend was perplexed. Then, he noticed the sunglasses on the rider! From that distance, he was able to distinguish the sunglasses. It was a Fastrack sunglass, of the same make as his missing sunglasses. Gathering courage, he exclaimed at the rider straining his vocal chords, “I lost a sunglass very similar to the one you are wearing. Are those mine? Did you find it on the road?”.

The moped rider increased the speed and kept on to the right side of the road. He replied as he fled away, “No! I’m wearing mine! I got it free as an accessory when I bought this moped!”.

Tags: Musings,Mettur,Dam,Sunglasses,Fastrack