Literary Perceptions

I have always believed human interactions are all about perceptions, and misunderstandings are nothing but an outcome of differences in perceptions of the people concerned. It's like the proverbial elephant explained in different ways by the blind people based on how they perceived it through their touch.

What I share here is about perceptions surrounding people's literary pursuits like writing, reading, speaking and even crosswords as I will elaborate going ahead.

Those close to me know my craze to solve crossword puzzles and the ones in the English daily newspaper Deccan Herald are my favourite - I mean the easy ones, not the cryptic kind. I proudly say I caught the crossword bug from my late father. He loved the crossword puzzles in DH so much that he had refused to change newspapers even when some offered a 50% discount, because they didn't have crosswords in them. Days before he passed away, he could be seen attempting the crosswords even while he was in the hospital ICU!

While most loathe the commute in buses, I love the time I get all to myself. I use the hour and a half to office or back, to read a book or write something, sleep or even complete a few rounds of a crochet project. A recent favourite has been attempting - and if possible completing - the daily crossword. So every evening, I grab the day's paper from the newspaper stand at my workplace, and then start solving it the moment I get a seat and settle down.

However, one evening on my return journey, I had a lady supposedly working in a corporate, sitting beside and watching me intently - oblivious to me, though - as I completed the crossword in a matter of 30-45 minutes. The next thing, she asked me a question which caught me off guard - "Are you a professor?" I collected myself and said no. She seemed unconvinced and asked, "Have you studied M.A. English?" I replied in the negative. Then she subtly challenged me asking how I completed the crossword if I was neither a faculty nor an English postgraduate. I said attempting crosswords was my passion, so I kept at it, and succeeded in completing one, once in a while.

Her assumption intrigued me - that solving English crosswords successfully, meant I had to be an English major or a Professor, no less. I recall a similar incident that happened years back.

About a decade ago, I was entrusted with the responsibility of compering at the musical evening on the eve of my niece's wedding. Instead of using plain sentences to announce the various items on the agenda or introduce the families to the guests, I sought to put my poetic self to work and presented the whole thing in verses - in English and Hindi to ensure everyone understood. I was stunned myself with the end product, as I had not expected it would turn out so amazing. I was happy a few others also liked it.

But what stands out to date, is an innocent question by a teenager among the guests to my daughter that evening, "Is your mother an English lecturer?". She said "No, she isn't".

The most recent literary perception however, is what happened today - again in the bus. I could sense the girl next to me observing me reading articles on LinkedIn and skimming through some Reels with English lines on the Instagram. First she asked in English whether she could use my phone to call her mother, and I promptly said no. She asked to know why and I said "I don't give my phone to strangers. I am not comfortable as I don't know you or your mother". She was not done with her questions and asked where I was working and what I did. I said in a private company, and typing was my job. She then asked whether I know other languages, apart from English. That seemed very silly, as I don't look like a foreigner from any angle, but still out of courtesy I replied, "Kannada also". She said she was surprised. I asked why and she answered, "you don't look like you know any language other than English". Look like? I was speechless!

Now it was my turn to be amazed, astonished, astounded, baffled, bewildered, perplexed, puzzled, stunned, overwhelmed .......................