The curious case of a stick
The curious case of a stick I was a 5 am person once upon a time. I do not recall when insomnia crept in and robbed me of the joy of early rising. I would be out for my morning walk by 5.30 am notwithstanding my own moods or mood of Mumbai’s monsoon. Dawn in Mumbai is not exactly sunny. Darkness does not scare me but dogs do so I began carrying a stick, the kind police officers carry. A friend of mine got my first stick for me from the Deputy Superintendent of Police of Rajkot. This stick is called officers stick and comes wrapped in plastic, packed in a long cardboard tube. It's polished brown to perfection, with shiny white metal caps fitted on both sides. In one's hand, it instantly provides a feeling of authority and power. Dogs never really bothered me in the suburb I live but carrying a stick became a habit. At the junction of Carter road and Jogger's park, there is a police post that I pass every day. The stick in my hand combined with my serious demeanor and erect...