Blindsight

He got goose bumps as he listened to the applause. It felt like a watershed moment in his life of four decades and counting. He wanted to savour the moment so that he could recall it to his memory time and again later on.

As the applause died down, he heard someone slowly whisper next to his ears, "It's the question answer time now Mr. Trivedi." He nodded in acknowledgement and within the next few moments he heard the announcement.

"Now Mr. Trivedi would take a few questions from the audience."

 "Congratulations on your debut book becoming a best seller. If I heard it right, you wrote it for the blind - in Braille - by yourself? But why only for the blind?" A man from the audience asked.

 "Yes. I wrote it in Braille. But it's not correct to say that it is only for the blind. I had arranged for it to get published in normal print for everyone subsequently.

Regarding why, I would like to share with you the story behind how I came about writing in Braille.

I don't know how many of you have heard this true story circulating on the internet. There was a blind man waiting at a busy junction waiting to cross the road. As he was wishing that he should ask for some help for crossing the road, someone tapped on his shoulder and said "I am a blind man. Would you kindly help me to cross the road?"

There was pin-drop silence as he continued. "The first blind man thought for a while and then took the arm of the second blind man and they both crossed the road."

He heard a collective sigh from the audience. "When people asked the first blind man why he did that apparently, he replied 'What could I do? Helping that blind man cross the road was the biggest thrill of my life.'"

There was scattered laughter from the audience this time.

"This story about jazz pianist George Shearing changed my life forever. Writing this book in such a humourous tone in Braille was my way of enabling my fellow blind people cross the tough situations in life with lightness in their hearts." Abhay said staring into nothing.

By now everyone in the audience was hooked onto Abhay's words.

"But I wasn't like George Shearing at all. On the contrary, I had locked myself up in the darkness behind my eyelids. Had it not for someone I met, perhaps all the pent up anger in me would have destroyed me.

It was thanks to this person that I stand here today. I heard the story about the two blind men being narrated by her to bring me out of the self pity I was constantly wallowing in. She helped me bring out my innate talent not by showing sympathy but by toughening me up. They say 'there is a successful woman behind every man'. But this lady has been there next to me and at times even ahead of me, including in writing, as she is a successful writer on her own count.

I now request my better half, my wife Renuka to join me on the stage."

There was a huge round of applause as Renuka walked up to join Abhay on the stage. With Renuka next to him Abhay continued.

"They say "love is blind" and in her case it's literally true."

The audience literally roared with laughter. Now they understood how Abhay pulled off writing a humorous book on such a difficult topic of blindness.

"Sir, You paint visual pictures with words. How could you make that happen?" it was a female voice asking the question this time.

"Please call me Abhay. I don't know how many of you heard about the medical term 'blindsight'. It is a condition wherein the brain can perceive visual information in spite of having no capability to see it, due to the damage it suffered. I am blind and Renuka is my sight."

Many people's eyes in the audience had turned moist by now as they knew how rare it was to get to see such a love story play out in front of their eyes in real time.

"I wish Happy Women's Day to all the lovely women out there. You have always been there to fill the world with love and generosity. In line with the theme of 2021's Women's Day, may you all achieve an equal future you all so richly deserve!" Abhay said as he was about to wind up the session.

"On behalf of all the ladies out here I thank you Abhay. One last question. When are we going to read your autobiography? I would love to read it." the earlier lady continued.

"Thank you very much for saying this. I am working on my autobiography right now and hopefully I would be able to complete it in a couple of years."

"Can you give us a sneak peek into it?" someone from the audience shouted out.

"Now that you know so much about me, you can take a guess at what the title of my autobiography is going to be. Any guesses?" Abhay questioned back with tongue in cheek.

"Blindsight" a couple of people shouted back.

As Abhay and Renuka smiled in agreement, the audience burst into a thunderous applause.