Summers look the best when it’s winter, and winters look the best when it’s summer. You are never content with what you have – like all things in life. I realised this last night when my watermelon had too many seeds. Being too tired of dissecting them with my tongue, I resigned and started chewing the seeds. I would do this even as a kid until I was scared straight by being told that eating those seeds will make watermelon plants sprout in my tummy. But now, if there is any wisdom that I gained as an adult, I know that it does not happen. What else has this wisdom taught me? Meh.

I have more complaints about the summers. I say this as I sit in a hot and humid afternoon realising that maybe global warming is becoming practically noticeable. But again, I do have an AC in my chambers and that gives me refuge from the loo that blows outside.

It has been a few days since I took charge in Mancherial. Despite all the complaints I had about being posted far away from the city, I now realise that Mancherial is nothing less than a city. My mark of a place being urban enough is the noticeable presence of huge shopping malls, fast-food chains like KFC, and a huge cluster of corporate multi-speciality hospitals which resemble five-star hotels. All the socio-economic data shows that India does not have enough doctors proportionate to its population, and I wonder if this data skipped the census of medicos in Mancherial since this place has enough doctors and hospitals for a city five times as large as this. If I could do a side-hustle, I would set up a hospital (at least a dental one!) and mint money the way all hospitals here seem to be doing.

On the other hand, this place surely lacks enough courts. Though it has seven in number, two are vacant and two have trainee officers. The burden on the rest might overwhelm them and possibly create some indifference simply because of the enormity of pendency. But that’s the pain, I hope, will soon reduce.

I was at the Academy in Hyderabad for the last four months. It was hectic. I am not sure if I can complain about this as most of the burden was self-imposed. In all of that din, this blog developed some rust. Much has happened in the world since the last time I wrote here. From Russia attacking Ukraine, Will Smith attacking Chris Rock, Komaram Bheem attacking the British, and HDFC attacking HDFC, it was hard to keep up with all the news. There is so much I want to tell myself and I will try to do that in the coming weeks.

For now, I must note that the last two weeks have been hectic as we set up a new house here. Since the Government Residence has been vacant for several years, it appears to have been occupied by some invisible unearthly beings. I would’ve cleaned it up and moved into it, but I am not too intrigued to witness any paranormal activity that surely goes on there. Finding a private house for rent was not easy. We liked two spacious apartments, but both denied after finding out that I am a Muslim. My staff said that the resident will be a Judge. They said, “Sure! But he is still a Muslim!” In all of this, what was most surprising was that I didn’t feel any outrage. Not even an iota of feeling unequal. I have become immune to all the hate, thanks to the regular vaccines given to us in the name of Hijab and Halal. Welcome to new India, I guess!

Although buying all things new for the new house does good damage to my bank balance, it is exciting to pick and choose things to buy. With all this, I have gained market knowledge of most consumer goods, not something I would otherwise need. Refrigerators cost more than they cool, and Microwave Ovens cost more than they heat. And when the news yells at how inflation has been cruising on a global level, I place a hand on my pocket and mumble – ‘I know.’