On silver sands on a beachfront, my pair of reading glasses looked myopically at the sea. I discovered they were missing only after reaching home. Couldn't find my spare pair either, nor the ones made for the computer screen. I could do everything but read. The morning papers arrived the next day:

"Don't strain your eyes!" said the wife. I did and smiled, how different the news was, "Awesome!" I shouted as I read the headlines, "Modi has said that with Ayodhya over, no more mosques or churches will be touched!"

"Your eyes seemed to have gained positive vision," said the wife, "I don't seem to have read anything like that!"

"Just take off your glasses," I said, "He's also going to focus on the rising rate of unemployment and look on the third page, it says he's going to heed the international hunger index and freedom of press listing!"

I held the newspaper closer to my eyes, and my eyeballs nearly fell out in sheer astonishment, "India and China are going to form a union like the European Union!"

"Aiyo!" said the wife.

"Why Aiyo?" I asked pleasantly.

"All India Yellow Organisation!"

"I don't think the Chinese like being called yellow anymore," I said, "We should be careful not to hurt each other! And look what it says here, China is willing to talk to Taiwan! They're willing to have peace talks and discuss the issue threadbare. This will herald peace in the region!" I shouted, waving the newspaper and jumping around the room.

"You better be careful, you're not wearing your spectacles!" said my wife, "I don't need broken limbs and a blind husband!"

"Who needs glasses!" I shouted jubilantly, "Peace is round the corner!"

I switched on the television and watched the prime minister speaking about the Constitution of the country, "He says it's the best constitution in the world, and there's no need to change a single word."

"He said that?" asked the wife.

"Yes," I said, "Even without my glasses, I can lip-read and see him saying those words! And he looks very sincere without my glasses! What a beautiful world this is becoming!" I whispered as I walked over to the window and smiled just as the doorbell rang and two men stood outside, "Sir," said one of them smiling, "Are these glasses yours? We found them on the beach!"

"Thank you!" I said and put them on, then looked at the newspaper, "Putin bombs Ukraine!"

I ran to the TV; the newscaster had tears as she showed bodies piling up in Palestine and one of the bodies of an Israeli who was kidnapped. I stared at the newspaper again, "Bulldozers raze shops in Mumbai!" read the headlines.

I threw the glasses on the floor. "Why didn't you leave my glasses where you found them?" I cried as reality hit me, and I dared not read what was written about my country...!

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