A Brush With Corona

Did you know that the most commonly forgotten item (of utility value) for frequent travellers like me is their toothbrush.

Let me tell you how useful and important is this innocent looking utility item in our busy day to day life by recalling an incident to you which is still etched in my memory. But before that, I would like to remind you that our day starts with a toothbrush and also ends with a toothbrush.

Sometime back, while I was travelling by a superfast express train to New Delhi from Hyderabad in a first class air-conditioned coach, one young woman in her mid thirties sporting ripped jeans approached me and said : "Sir, can you spare me your toothbrush" ? I was totally taken aback by this unexpected request from a young lady who looked quite intelligent to me. I quickly looked at my travelling kit bag which was wide open and the contents all too visible - so apparently she must have clearly noticed a spare (extra) toothbrush which I was carrying in my kit bag along with other items in duplicate. It had become my habit and necessity to carry each utility & cosmetic item in duplicate (pair), which sometimes attracted undue attention and also proved to be costly in the long run as in the present case. My habit draws from the fact that you never know when you need a substitute.

Coming back to the story, I quickly regained my composure and responded boldly by saying : "I am sorry young lady, but I can neither spare my toothbrush nor my tooth to you". She then looked at me coldly and remarked : "You seem to be old fashioned considering that the world has changed for the better from being narrow to being broad presently" (I told you she looked intelligent and outwardly in the first place). I felt insulted and replied back immediately without batting an eyelid : "Look Ma'am, I am neither old fashioned nor new fashioned, I am only Corona concerned and hence Corona fashioned" !

There ended the matter abruptly as abruptly as it had begun. She gave me a long & cold stare before leaving the place quickly to avoid further embarrassment to me or to her or to the curious onlookers (fellow passengers).

Interestingly, post-Corona conversations have become short, swift, meaningful and sarcastic !