We are in the car, taking Safdar to play-school, stuck at the traffic signal at Thiruvanmiyur.
“Umma, manthazar”
“What?”
“manthazaar….”
“Where?”
Finger pointing upwards, towards the billboards.
“Where? What are you looking at?”
Finger still points in the same direction.
Cannot make it out. We lost it, and decided to accept Manthazar as his mystery friend at the signal. He met the friend at the signal next day also, and the next.
Another day. Safdar sits on my lap, playing with the keyboard as I browse randomly, talking to Nisha.
“Uppa, umma’s office”.
“What?”
“Umma’s office”.
Oh yeah. On the monitor. The logo of Cognizant (CTS).
“Where did you see it”?
“Bus, office”.
He is right.
“Uppa, money..”.
“Where?”
“On the computer”.
This time, it is the logo of ICICI Bank. He would have seen it at the ATM.
Good, he is observing.
Afternoon. Faisal talking to Nisha in the bedroom. Safdar in front of the TV.
“Uppa, Umma, Manthazaar…..come..”
We run to the TV. Ad plays. Western Union Money Transfer. Manthazar.
Logos matter. Whoever designed these, they did a good job. My son is getting programmed to quickly point to Lays and Munch at the supermarket rack. He wants to go to Chennai Silks to buy his clothes. He is not three yet.
He is a consumer. Of the right kind if you are on the right side.