Guest column: Of idols and their myriad obsessions

Leaving the mobile phone at home and insecurity at being cut off from the world had taken its toll in the first half of our golf match

Haven’t we all idolised somebody? I too have had idols at most stages of life and strange as it would seem, each one of them was in turn obsessed with something or the other.

(Representative Photo/AFP )

My first idol, as far as I can remember, was the Bollywood actor Sunil Dutt. His iconic film, Mother India, had deeply moved me and after he rescued his co-star Nargis and won her heart and hand, his place was cemented as my idol. Over the years, my idols ranged from an English teacher who was a stickler for correct pronunciation and spellings, a cricket coach who would make us run at least 5km before a game as warm up, to a drill instructor at the Indian Military Academy who would reach the barracks even on a rainy day (presumably a non-drill day) and pace through the corridor with his trademarked one liners, invariably beginning with “GC (gentleman cadet) fauj mein koi chutti nahin hoti.”

Having hung up my spurs, I now have two constant idols — my daughter-in-law, whom I try to emulate in soft skills, courage, and stress-free living and my wife whose emotional intelligence has always impressed me. Ironically, they too are not free of obsessions. The former is obsessed with her son and the latter is on an unending quest to improve her husband.

The one who abhorred obsessions

Being impulsive, fickle and self-obsessed, I fall for contrary qualities in people around me. One such person has been a friend for around four decades. Cool as a cucumber, he has unending reserves of patience, soft skills, ability to tolerate ambiguity and suffer fools, which makes him a favourite among the community at large. However, it was his abhorrence to obsessions, which cliched his place as my idol ... or so I thought.

Recently, we met at a golf course, which is close to his house. Hoping for a fun-filled and tough game, we teed off for an engrossing five-hour duel. However, I immediately realised that his body language seemed abnormal. He seemed restless and fidgety, which was unlike him. He kept looking over his shoulder and kept groping his pockets.

“All fine Rajeev?” I asked him and received the proverbial thumbs up. He was not his usual relaxed self and it manifested in his game, which gradually progressed from bad to worse . After the front nine, it was time for a snack break. However, my hero was reeling under an embarrassing score, an unusual happening!

Turning the tide

“ You go ahead with snacks while I finish an errand,” he told me. Though he is not one to miss a sumptuous omelet, he left in a flurry even before I could fathom what had happened. It was a while before he was back with a spring in his step and a cellphone to his ear.

The back nine round turned out to be a game changer with him turning the tide. It was after I handed over the day’s winnings to him that I realised the reason for the turnaround. My friend had forgotten his mobile phone at home and insecurity at being cut off from the world had taken its toll in the first half. Surprised by this extreme obsession, which had by now diluted my sense of idolisation for him , I asked him, “Did you miss anything when the gizmo was not with you?” Though sheepish, he was quick to retort , “There were some important WhatsApp updates regarding the second wave of Covid. You know we can’t afford to miss them in these times.”

Dejected and crestfallen, I am now looking to fulfil my obsession to search for a new idol!

avnishrms59@gmail.com

The writer is a Chandigarh-based freelance contributor