The psyche of Bangalore is well known to those who have been part of its growth and metamorphosis. I had wondered if a seeker from the more 'down to earth' place might have had trouble coping with the wonder (or blunder) called Benda Kalooru or just about anybody else from another part of the country.

These could be his thoughts...

The days pass into nights with unceasing regularity as I try to find light in the darkness to understand the conundrum of life. Today was another such day. The whole day had been spent in rumination and providing for the stomach at regular intervals. As the evening dawned, I set off to the favorite haunt of the young and old alike- Brigade Road. After an uneventfully short ride in the city bus, I reached my destination- one small dot in the cosmos.

I got down and began to trudge along the often-walked road, taking in its sights and smells. People ranging from the tastefully dressed, blind beggars to the wrangler wearing youth walked side by side on this path which offered a peek into how an American city would look like.

I could see the far-away look in the eyes of the twenty plus gang walking around with their digitized haircuts and unprintable language. I could hear one of them refer to his friend as the Java Man. Well, I thought evolution goes around in circles and history repeats itself. 'Java man' was supposed to have existed ages ago and he was back now with a new look. I suppose some ad agency must have given him a new look and re-launched him.

I just stood there near the railing hoping he would spill the beans regarding the whole story. I cocked my already strained ear and wonder of wonders; I could hear a similar strain of conversation from another group. Something about Java, apples and beans. Some were talking about pearls too.

The Watson in me was thoroughly confused by these clues. It had only served to make me more disoriented. Was it a case of Rip-Van-Winkle going back in time? Was I losing my mind? I slowly turned homeward, where I wanted to go and catch a good night's sleep and get up refreshed in the morning hoping that the world would have got over its reverse-evolutionary tendencies. ............

Epilogue:

Its been a few months since my feet walked along the beaten path. But today, I take courage in the fact that time is a great leveler and set out to find whether things were back to normal.

The four-wheeled mechanical contraption lands me back in the thick of things and the first words that I hear are sweet balm to my ears. "Java is extinct."

Wow! Evolutionary cycle times are coming down these days. I wonder whether they follow Moore's Law too. I am relieved. Life is back to status quo. Java is in its rightful place - the museum, and man is still making a fool of himself.

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