Scene: A lazy Sunday afternoon. Two friends, Arjun and Rohit, are sitting on the verandah sipping tea. A string of lemons and green chillies dangles above Arjun’s door, swaying in the breeze.
Rohit: (grinning)
Bro, you’ve really gone full traditional this time, huh? Lemon, chillies… What’s next, a garlic necklace?
Arjun: (laughing)
Don’t make fun, da. This is serious! You know it’s to ward off evil spirits. My grandmother swears by it. She says without it, bad luck just walks in.
Rohit: (teasing)
Bad luck walks in, huh? What does it do, knock first and say, “Excuse me, where’s the chillies?”
Arjun: (mock serious)
Exactly! If the lemon and chillies are there, the evil spirits get distracted, nibble on it, lose their powers, and leave us alone.
Rohit: (raising an eyebrow)
Distracted evil spirits? Sounds like my dog chasing butterflies. (laughs)
Arjun, think about it—how can a string of vegetables protect a house? You think some ghost is floating around and says, “Oops, lemons! Retreat, boys, retreat!”?
Arjun: (defensive, but smiling)
You laugh, but I’m telling you, ever since I hung it, things have been smooth. No fights at home, my boss praised my work, even my scooter starts on the first kick now!
Rohit: (chuckling)
Arjun, that’s just coincidence, da! Imagine if you had bought a new helmet the same day. Would you think that warded off evil too?
Arjun: (grinning)
If it works, why not? (winks)
Rohit: (leaning forward)
Okay, serious question. If lemon and chillies really had the power to fight evil, don’t you think hospitals, police stations, even Parliament would be plastered with them?
Arjun: (laughs)
Maybe they should be! Would solve half the country’s problems.
Rohit: (grinning)
Exactly my point! See, back in the day, it might have had some logic. Lemons have Vitamin C, chillies have capsaicin… Maybe it helped keep insects away from doorways. Practical stuff. Somewhere along the way, people made up the “evil spirit” story to explain it.
Arjun: (thinking)
Hmm… But even if it started for bugs, what’s the harm in keeping it for luck? It gives people peace of mind, no?
Rohit:
True, true. I’m not saying throw it away and offend your grandmother. Just… don’t rely on it. Like, if your scooter doesn’t start tomorrow, don’t start yelling at the lemon-string for failing you!
Arjun: (laughing hard)
Poor lemon-string! “Mission failed, abort!” (makes siren noises)
Rohit: (laughing)
Exactly! Science says our brain is wired to see patterns even when there aren’t any. It’s called “confirmation bias.” If you believe the chillies saved you, you’ll notice only the good things after hanging it—and ignore the bad.
Arjun: (grinning)
So you’re saying I should hang the lemon-string and service my scooter regularly?
Rohit: (mock serious)
Now that’s the real protection spell!
Arjun: (laughing)
Okay okay, fine. I’ll keep it for Grandma’s peace of mind… but I’ll rely more on mechanic magic than lemon magic.
Rohit: (raising his teacup)
Cheers to that! Long live logic… and long live lemons!
Arjun: (clinking cups)
And long live chillies! Otherwise, how will we make pakoras?
[Both burst out laughing as a crow caws loudly overhead — maybe also confused whether to fear the lemon-string or just steal it for lunch.]
Science Vs Superstition 
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