Setting: A roadside tea stall in Madurai. Two friends, Ravi (superstitious) and Arjun (rational thinker), are sitting on a bench, sipping tea and watching the traffic go by.
Ravi: (grinning) You won’t believe what happened at my cousin’s wedding yesterday.
Arjun: What? You caught the bride running away with the band guy?
Ravi: [laughs] No, da! I gave ₹1001 as a gift, and my uncle looked at me like I just unlocked the next level of moksha.
Arjun: Ah, the good old “plus one rupee” tradition. Still going strong in 2025, I see.
Ravi: Of course! That one rupee brings prosperity, da. It means the blessings are never-ending. Why stop at ₹1000 when ₹1001 could unlock Lakshmi’s premium subscription?
Arjun: [chuckles] Lakshmi Devi must be very fond of odd numbers then.
Ravi: Don’t joke. There’s meaning behind it. One rupee symbolizes growth, continuity. You never end with a zero. It’s like saying, “Let this not be the end, but a beginning.”
Arjun: That’s poetic. But let me ask—has anyone tracked how many people became rich just because they got ₹501 instead of ₹500?
Ravi: You won’t understand, Arjun. You people want lab reports for everything. Faith doesn’t come with spreadsheets.
Arjun: Okay, fair. But think about this: if that one rupee really had power, then shouldn’t we all be billionaires by now? Every wedding, birthday, housewarming—people are throwing around odd-numbered blessings like confetti.
Ravi: Maybe it’s not just the rupee. It’s the intention. The sentiment. It feels auspicious.
Arjun: Aha! Now we’re getting somewhere. So it’s symbolic, not literal.
Ravi: Maybe. But symbols matter, da. Look at the coconut we break before anything big. Science says it’s just a fruit. But for us, it’s sacred.
Arjun: True, but I’d rather check if the machine is working than crack a coconut on it.
Ravi: That’s because you don’t believe in energy.
Arjun: I do believe in energy. Kinetic, thermal, potential. The stuff we can measure.
Ravi: [laughs] So what, should I start measuring the fortune in microteslas?
Arjun: Only if you want to scare away the astrologer.
Ravi: You’re impossible. Next you’ll say black cats crossing the road aren’t unlucky.
Arjun: Of course they’re not! They’re just cats with bad PR. What if a black cat crosses your path after you’ve given ₹1001? What wins—prosperity or doom?
Ravi: Don’t confuse the signals! One’s about giving. The other’s a warning.
Arjun: Oh, now we’re in multi-threaded superstition. Look, da, I’m not against traditions. If giving ₹1001 makes you happy, go for it. Just don’t believe the rupee itself changes destiny.
Ravi: And if thinking rationally makes you happy, go for it. But some things in life need more than logic.
Arjun: Fair point. But remember what my grandpa used to say? “God helps those who help themselves… and budget properly.”
Ravi: [laughs] Your grandpa was a wise man. Probably still added that one rupee, though.
Arjun: Nah, he used to add ₹2—said inflation also affects good luck.
Ravi: See? Even your logical lineage isn’t immune!
[They both laugh. A black cat saunters by the tea stall. Ravi pauses mid-sip.]
Ravi: You saw that, right?
Arjun: Yep. And look, nothing exploded.
Ravi: [sips tea cautiously] Just in case, I’ll add an extra rupee to the tea guy’s tip.
Arjun: You know what? I’ll match it. But only because he makes damn good tea.
[They both laugh again, sipping their tea, the debate unresolved but their friendship intact.]
Science Vs Superstition 
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