India, June 5 -- It is a deeply jarring thing to realise someone can see right through your digital camouflage. An old friend, Rajesh Srivastava, did just that the other day.

My WhatsApp display picture is a Picasso-like sketch of me drawn by my daughter some years ago. It looks nothing like me because it is an abstract, fragmented distortion. No one in my contact list has ever referred to it as a portrait. Why would they? (Now, hold on to that question.)

Earlier this week, while in conversation with Rajesh, who is a corporate executive-turned-author, he asked, "Who did your portrait?" I told him. "It's brilliant. You must encourage her to take up art," he said. He had guessed it was me, and guessed the maker was young enough to still b...