ICE

“Ignorance is bliss” originates in Thomas Gray's 1742 poem “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College”

The original quote is

“Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise.”

Were you better off not knowing that?

People who chose ignorance is bliss and not to know because knowing will only upset them more. ...

My view is that ignorance is bliss”, is used by cowards who know that there is a problem but do not want to confront it.

However Knowledge is truly power, as you have control.

Let me enlighten you with a story.

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Manohar and Rajdeep came from different strata of society.

Where one side Manohar had a struggling upbringing Rajdeep being from a Raj Gharana was born with a silver spoon.

Bombay being the land of opportunities and having a big heart can create situations where such polarity can still be brought to the same table.

It was 1970’s and the buzz in Bombay colleges was one such place.

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Manohar was the son of Kirtilal the Iceman.

Affordable Refrigeration in food outlets and homes had not yet arrived so people depended on the mobile icemen to provide a way of chilling.

Kirtilal had a Bullock cart as his vehicle to transport ice to needy purchasers around his area.

It would first be a 10 am’ish trip to the local ice factory to collect his blocks of ice and load them onto his bullock cart.

These would continue with more trips depending on the demand and pace of the sales.

Part of his loss was the amount of ice that melted out during his distribution routines.

To delay the melting process he would Immediately give a generous sprinkle of sawdust on the huge ice blocks and cover them with thick empty gunny sacks.

Harnessing his bovine friend his rambling trek to the various outlets in his area would begin.

Stopping at various restaurants and dhabas (wayside food outlets) he would break out required quantity with a sharp-pointed ice pick from the blocks.

He would physically weigh them out on pan scales if quantities were small or hand span width approximate calculation for larger quantities.

He would deliver them to the outlets for them to be cracked and dumped on Coca-cola (it was not yet withdrawn from India) Soda, Mangola and other beverage bottles needing to be chilled.

Small cracked blocks were also left aside to be cracked and used in the drink glasses of water and the beverages.

Roadside fresh sugar cane crushed juice sellers, Gola walls and kulfiwalla’s also purchased from him.

Money payment was cash on delivery.

Kirtilal had a good small scale business going and was especially helped by the searing Bombay heat when demands would escalate and quite a few blocks would need to be picked up and sold throughout the day right until late evening.

For the night operating vendors, he also provided a night delivery.

To assist him his young son Manohar would tag along with him riding seated on the Bullock cart.

Despite his life struggles he always wanted to educate his son.

Manohar started studying well and for the next stage of education got admitted to a reputable college to do his intermediate studies.

He however always reminisced the fun days he had with his father selling ice.

Throughout his year's Life was simultaneously teaching him as he was an absorbing student.

Today one of the lessons would come handy as he was challenged by Rajdeep to the ice challenge in his college canteen.

They were surrounded by a group of noisy friends and All eyes were on the water glass on the table filled to the brim with the liquid and a few ice chunks.

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Rajdeep was the heir to the family fortune.

Son of an affluent businessman he was enveloped in amenities and worldly goodies throughout his life.

Being a spoilt child he was assisted in his education with the assistance of private tutors.

Due to these additional boosts he scored well in his exams and was on top grades.

He, however, struggled to fill up his humanity education and always walked about with a chip on his shoulder.

He had a very icy relationship with Manohar who competed with him for the top ranks and had managed to slide past him. What astounded him was how this new financially poor joiner could even dare of competing with him.

He felt that by ridiculing him he could boost up his ego.

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The lunch break had the college canteen packed.

The noisy hub of the students overpowered the blaring Bollywood song floating from the radio cassette player on the canteen cash counter.

It was euphoria with so much activity happening in the constrained space.

Groups of students sat huddled on chairs around the various scattered sunmica laminated tables.

Each table had cheap salt and pepper cruet sets as a standard layout.

The canteen boys were busy serving food and drinks to the various tables.

Usal, Misal and Vada Pao, plates sat comfortably beside the Samosa, sandwich and pizza that was being dished out with squeezes of cheap pumpkin tomato ketchup.

The aroma of Puri bhaji preceded the visuals of the golden brown puffed rounds of flour plated with the cumin tempered turmeric cubed potatoes and peas.

Manohar sat with six of his mixed girl and boyfriends joking and laughing.

The canteen boy took the order.

He left six overfilled glasses of water on the table and walked away.

Each glass was filled to the brim with a blob of ice floating on it.

They had ordered some snacks and were waiting for it to be served.

Rajdeep approached hovering around their table with about five of his snooty gang.

The fact that Manohar and his friends were having a good time did not appease him.

He started ridiculing Manohar and looking at the brim filled water glasses challenged Manohar to pick one of them and drink from it without spilling a single drop onto the table.

If he looses he would be drenched with a glass of water bring poured over his head.

The snooty gang burst out laughing and provoking.

Everyone knew it was an impossible task.

The glass was overfilled and one could see the big blob of ice sitting precariously on the top like an iceberg exposing its solid shiny gleam.

The tension was building up and all eyes were on the glass of iced water.

Manohar looked at the challenge and analysed.

Even if he touched the glass the water would spill.

There was no way that spillage could be avoided.

He had to somehow reduce the volume.

He had to somehow first take the ice blob from the glass.

This would then make it convenient to drink from.

He looked around the table and his vision went towards the cruet set on the table.

Knowledge clicked within him.

Everyone looked shocked as he agreed to the challenge.

He agreed on the condition that if he did it the water glass would be emptied over Rajdeep’s head.

A loose thread on his sweater was Manohar solace.

As everyone watched Manohar started pulling this thread and broke off a short length of it.

Holding one end of the thread he let a bit of the other end of the light thread across the blob of ice.

So far no water overflow.

Good!!

As onlookers were contemplating his next move he extended his hand and pulled the salt cruet towards him.

Shaking the upturned salt cruet over the glass he generously sprinkled salt on the thread and blob of ice.

He waited for a few minutes and gradually pulled up the thread.

Voila!!

The thread had fused with ice to form its tail and the ice was now hovering in mid-air over the water glass.

Waiting for a few moments till any loose drop of water fell back into the glass he manoeuvred the ice blob straight into his open mouth.

The crunching of ice between his teeth sounded his victory drums.

This resulted in a freeze on Rajdeep’s face.

Sliding out the thread from between his lips a smile erupted as he lifted the glass and drank bottoms up from it.

Not a single drop had spilt onto the table.

(He had noticed as he had accompanied his dad on the ice delivery runs some shopkeepers use rock salt to maintain the temperature and prolong the melting process. As soon as the salt touched the ice there would be an initial few second of melt on the surface which would then immediately freeze back fusing the rock salt in its entity ---- This was knowledge -- KNOWLEDGE IS POWER)

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The whole canteen erupted as the hip hip hurrays accompanied the water from another glass being overturned on Rajdeep.

A bet, is a bet, is a bet!!

For Rajdeep, this was a very ICY WET...... BET.