[Scene: A small tea shop near a college campus in Chennai. Two friends, Arjun and Vivek, are sitting at a corner table sipping chai.]
Arjun (looking rattled):
Machan, you won’t believe what happened today morning! I was all set to leave for my interview, wearing my best shirt and all… and suddenly, out of nowhere, a black cat crossed my path! Ayyo paavam, I knew it — my day was ruined!
Vivek (smirking):
Dei Arjun, seriously? You’re still stuck on that black cat nonsense? It’s just an animal, da. Probably going somewhere important itself!
Arjun (wide-eyed):
No no, Vivek! It’s not nonsense, okay? My grandmother always told me — black cat crossing = bad luck. And guess what? I did reach the interview late because my bike wouldn’t start! Proof right there!
Vivek (laughing and sipping tea):
Aiyo, nee romba comedy da! So if a cow crosses your path, what, you get a promotion? Come on, da. Your bike not starting has nothing to do with that poor cat. Maybe you should blame your bike battery instead of one innocent kattikaran.
Arjun (defensively):
But it’s not just me, da! In our entire street, everyone believes it. Even Appa says if you see a black cat, better to sit down for a minute, let someone else pass first, and then go. Otherwise, disaster!
Vivek (grinning):
Arjun, that’s called confirmation bias, da. You only remember the times something bad happened after seeing the cat. What about the hundred other times a black cat crossed, but nothing bad happened? You forgot, right?
Arjun (thinking):
Hmm… but why is it always black cats? Why not, like, brown ones?
Vivek (animatedly):
Exactly my point! It’s just superstition imported from old British times. In Europe, black was seen as unlucky — like witches, darkness, fear. So they linked black cats to bad luck. And thanks to colonization, we adopted all sorts of things without questioning!
Arjun (grinning reluctantly):
So you’re saying my interview mess was…my own fault?
Vivek (laughing):
Maybe! Maybe you forgot to charge your bike battery! Or maybe you left late! Maybe the real villain is your laziness, not the cat.
Arjun (mock hurt):
Eh! Don’t call me lazy, da. I woke up at 7 AM!
Vivek (teasing):
And still got delayed? Then it’s definitely you, not the poor black kitty. Maybe the cat saw you and thought, “Aiyo, bad luck for me today!”
[Both burst out laughing.]
Arjun (after calming down):
Okay okay, fine. Maybe there’s no real evidence. But you know what, da? Some habits are just…comforting. Like Appa says, “Even if you don’t believe, why take risk?”
Vivek (nodding understandingly):
That’s fair, da. I get it. Traditions give a sense of security. But imagine living life in constant fear of random things you can’t control! Why not trust yourself a little more?
Arjun (smiling sheepishly):
Maybe next time, if I see a black cat, I’ll just wink at it and say, “All the best, da!”
Vivek (raising his chai cup):
That’s the spirit! High five to new beginnings — and to not blaming animals for our deadlines!
[They clink their tea glasses together and laugh, while a stray black cat casually strolls past the tea shop. Both glance at it. Arjun tenses up for a second but then shrugs and sips his tea.]
Science Vs Superstition 
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