India, July 2 -- Fleeting Thoughts

By Ashvini Ranjan

In my eight decades on this earth, I have acquired one priceless piece of wisdom. If you are desperately looking for a doctor, investment adviser, chartered accountant or computer engineer, you can easily find one. But if you urgently need a plumber, electrician, carpenter or dhobi, they instantly become rarer than a tiger in the wild.

The moment the maid doesn't turn up, the kitchen sink refuses to drain, the motor stops pumping water to the overhead tank, the weather inside the house changes dramatically. Sunshine disappears, storm clouds gather and the man of the house is suddenly promoted to Chief Disaster Management Officer.

Over the years, I cultivated excellent diplomatic rel...