A mobile phone has been around from time immemorial. That is, according to the teeny weeny kids you see today. Just hang around a mall or any public place and you’ll notice an adult engaging a child with a mobile phone. Why are mobiles such a hit with kids today? Well, I digress!
A world without mobiles is in-conceivable to my son Vyas. Like a bird without wings. And his baby brother is very faithful to his ‘anna’ and is already eyeing the mobiles with lust. But when technology and mythology juxtapose or super-impose, its a concocted heady mix. The ‘anna’ is smitten with mythology and lets his imaginations run riot.
An innocent question from him like, ‘Ma, is your dad in heaven or hell?’, is deceivingly simple, and almost always lands me in a soup. My obvious answer to the question was ‘Heaven of course’. I should have stopped there. But no, the nice mom that I am, I ask ‘Why do you ask?’. That is it. Inference No.1 from my answer: “So, thatha must’ve seen Indra in the Devaloka. I want to know if his throne is like that of a real King’s. I plead ignorance.. “Umm.. so he must also have seen the other Devas – Vayu, Agni, Varuna … and are they still fighting the asuras?” he continues . “C’mon, why worry about all that now. I do not know how to explain. You’ll understand ‘how things work’ in the netherworld and other world when you are a little older..'” I say. A small pause. And he asks, “Ma, when will you go to heaven?” ! “Me? Not any time soon. Maybe in another 50 years from now?” And again I ask my trademark question, “Why?”. He says, “Remember to take you mobile phone along. I’ll call you to find out how Indra is and how heaven in general is.. Sad that thatha did not have one on his person” An idea! Really!!
![\Call to heaven\](https://i0.wp.com/static.toondoo.com/public/v/i/d/vidyavasu/toons/cool-cartoon-1076394.png "\Call to heaven\")
Do share such interesting uses for future mobile phones. Maybe, a collective list can be sent to Nokia or the likes as ‘feature requests’!!
life under the sky 