In a packed hotel, I happened to see one of my old neighbors having lunch with his friends. It had been decades since I had seen him. Among his group I was also able to recognize his elder cousin Mayur whom I knew. Co-incidentally our eyes met and we were able to recognize each other.

During our discussion Mayur said that he owns a company manufacturing Braille Communication Boards in Mangalore (For those who are not aware, Braille is a tactile writing system used by the blind and visually impaired). He also mentioned that his company also carried out extensive research in the field of interactive boards for visually impaired people. Although it’s a noble cause, for a second, I thought what made a successful architect like Mayur choose a profession dedicated to physically challenged people.

I still remember young Mayur and my neighbor joining us in the playground every time he visited Bangalore during summer vacation. One such vacation turned out to be a fateful one for Mayur when he fell into a ditch while he was walking with his eyes closed. Why Closed eyes? Well, he wanted to experience how it was to walk being blind. He fell unconscious when his nose hit against a hard sharp rock.

While talking to him, I could barely control my laughter when I noticed the stitch marks under his nose which reminded me of our childhood episode. What do I call this………..a “Blind Passion”? Well, I do not know!
“Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life” - Confucius