Barrister Parvateesam

As I didn’t respond, they came closer and said, “Hello, Johnny!” “You’re mistaken! I’m not Johnny,” I replied, moving ahead. “Too young!” (meaning, too much of a youngster), they laughed to themselves and walked away. Young men and women, strolling arm in arm along the road, watched this spectacle, laughing and going about their way. Some were lovers in their middle age, some were married couples, and others were just pairs. A few of them tried to greet me, and when I didn’t reply, they attempted to grab my hand and pull me into their group. I gently freed my hand and said, “Sorry, good night,” and walked on. Noticing this, they called out, “That’s right, young man! You’ve got to be jolly careful!” Well done, boy, you must be a little careful with these people, they said as they went on their way. By the time I reached my lodging, it was midnight. The landlady and her children seemed to be in deep sleep; not a sound was to be heard. I quietly entered my room. On the table, the landlady had left a little hot milk and two or three slices of bread with a pat of butter. I drank the milk, changed out of my clothes, put on my pajamas, and, thinking over the night’s events, wished myself good night and went to bed.

The next day, at three in the afternoon, I went to the meeting place the young lady had mentioned. By the time I arrived, she was already there, waiting for me. As soon as she saw me, she came forward with a gentle smile, said, “Good afternoon,” and extended her hand for a handshake. “I’m so glad you came. I was confident you would, but still, I had a little hesitation. After all, your face doesn’t look like one that tells lies,” she said without a trace of doubt. “So, you can judge a person by their face! Please teach me that art as well. Whoever I see, I only notice the good in them. Why is that, do you think?” I asked. She laughed and replied, “You see good in everyone because you are a good person yourself.” Chatting thus, we went to a nearby hotel, had a light tea and snacks, and then went to a cinema.

There, they screened a film starring a certain Charlie Chaplin, which was full of humor. That was the very first time I watched a Chaplin film—words cannot express how marvelous it was. Without a single line of dialogue, without song or verse, the entire story was made clear to us solely through their acting. How skillfully they accomplished this! And Chaplin’s comic performance was simply extraordinary.

For about an hour, I, the girl sitting next to me, and—why just us?—all the audience in the hall were utterly enchanted by that comedic acting. We were so absorbed, so delighted, that we lost ourselves in waves of laughter and joy. The hall resounded with