Yesterday being in a fix over how to stir the sugar in my tea which our office tea boy often misses and not having a spoon nearby I did what I do mostly in these situations. Use my trick No.9 as I call it. I took out my 'Silai'(a long pure steel pointed nail with one end bended) which I always keep tucked in third buttonhole of my shirt, then looked right and then left and then stirred the tea to dissolve the sugar cubes. Only this time I was caught by one of my senior colleague and we both laughed out loud.
The utility of this simple device can't be undermined. Although the main function of 'Silai' is to tuck the leftover hair inside a Sikh's turban or patka (Sikh child's headgear) it has provided succour to me innumerable times. Not long ago one of our server room in our office which requires an access card to get inside somehow got forcefully shut and the bottom of the door came out. The access card gave away its use. Nobody to help me out and the work being of urgent nature, again I applied this trick. I placed my Silai near the door's knob and pushed it inside. Then just tilting the edge a little the door gave way and I was able to use my access card. Yo! it worked once again, I literally uttered to myself.
I call it trick 9 because the shape of 'Silai'is like number nine when its tip is pointed below.This trick not only works on tough and serious occasions but under normal circumstances also it comes handy. Be it opening of jam tins,tearing away the maggi packets or pulling out small things out of the places where your fingers cant reach, if used sensibly and intelligently it really works and saves a lot of time.
So much so that It has become one of my five kakaars (so to say ..hehehe.) after my Purse, Handkerchief, Pen and my Mobile which I always keep with myself whenever I go out of my house. Not to speak of the situations when out of nowhere you suddenly feel an itch somewhere on your back and you know your fingers cant reach that place, atleast I know I am well equipped with a solution and that is to follow my trick 9. One likely place where i have never used it is to poke somebody with it but a peace loving person as I am may be the need hasn't arrived till now. :)
I salute My Silai through this post (a deserved one)!