conflict

Early in the morning Daivik wanted a big chocolate that was shaped like a lady bug. I remembered his previous rather, er, positive experience with lady bug. So to discourage him from the large chocolate that early, I asked him gently if he was sure it was a chocolate and confused him further by suggesting, "perhaps it is a real lady bug?". The effect was dramatic : he immediately flung the thing down.

But a chocolate - real or not - is a chocolate. After the impact had subsided he suggested to me "can you check if it is crawling ? If it is not, I think, it may be a chocolate". So, I "checked", and, what a wonder, it was not crawling. I reported it to him. He suggested that in that case, I should keep it on the table for further examination, which I compiled with. He had a good look at it from a safe distance and reported his results : "Appa, I think it is not real bug because a) real bug is small, this is big (shows the size by hand), b) real bug has black spots, this has white, c) real bug's legs are "bent inside", this is "outside". Therefore it is chocolate bug. Can you open it".

I said "if you are so sure it is not real bug why not open it yourself". The next moments were precious. He was simultaneously taking a step forward and withdrawing it, drawing his hand forward and retracting it. I realised I was witnessing a rather primal contest, a conflict between conviction and fear, between the decisions we make and the ones that makes us. I thought perhaps it is better if he makes this important choice by himself. When I returned back after some minutes it had taken a funny form. He was standing at a safe 1.5 feet from the "bug" and asking it, literally, "lady bug, are you real ? Or not ? Tell me. Now. Soon".