[Scene: A small balcony in Chennai. It’s late evening, the tea is steaming, and Meena and Priya are chatting while watching the kids play below.]
Meena: (sipping tea) You know Priya, my husband’s boss came over for dinner last week. So awkward! Every time I had to call him, I just said “Ayyo, idhu un coffee!” or “Kanna, phone kekudhu!” without even saying his name. Imagine me blurting out “Suresh!” in front of him! God forbid! That would’ve been such a bad omen!
Priya: (laughing) Wait, you still don’t say his name? Meena, you’ve been married twelve years! You say your dog’s name more often than your husband’s.
Meena: Of course I don’t. Didn’t your grandmother teach you? It brings bad luck. It’s disrespectful too. A husband is like God — we don’t call God by his first name, no?
Priya: Meena, we also don’t offer God his lunch silently and hope he hears us without a name tag!
Meena: (chuckling) Very funny. But seriously, I once heard my neighbor Rekha call her husband “Ravi” directly, and you know what happened that week? He slipped on the bathroom tile and fractured his leg.
Priya: Ah, the classic cause-effect trap. By that logic, if I say “chocolate” three times and get a cavity, it’s the word’s fault?
Meena: Don’t joke! These things have been told to us for generations. There must be a reason.
Priya: Sure — culture often has reasons, but they’re not always good reasons. Think about it. This rule only applies to women, not men. When was the last time you saw a man hesitate to say his wife’s name?
Meena: That’s… well… different. Men are… you know… less expressive.
Priya: Less expressive? Or less restricted? Come on, Meena. Your husband is a wonderful man, but calling him by name won’t suddenly make a coconut fall on his head.
Meena: Still… what if there is some truth to it? Why take chances?
Priya: That’s like refusing to switch on a fan during an eclipse because “it might disturb cosmic energy.” You’re giving up comfort over fear.
Meena: (grinning) You sound like those YouTube scientists always ruining my serials.
Priya: And you sound like your WhatsApp aunties’ club — “Forward this or face bad luck for 7 years!”
Meena: (laughs loudly) Okay, that’s true. Some of those messages even scare me! Once I forwarded one to my cousin just in case.
Priya: Meena, here’s a thought — traditions are beautiful when they uplift. But when they suppress your voice, even literally — like not saying your own husband’s name — don’t you think it’s time to question it?
Meena: But what will people say? My mother-in-law still gets offended if I even refer to him as “S.”
Priya: You can still respect people without believing the same things. Remember when you let your daughter play cricket even though the neighbors whispered it’s “not ladylike”?
Meena: Hmm… True. And she did win that school match. Maybe I’m not as strict as I think.
Priya: Exactly. Beliefs evolve. You don’t wear a madisar daily, right? Times change, even God has an Instagram page now!
Meena: (laughing) That’s it. I’m telling Suresh you made fun of our traditions.
Priya: Suresh! Did you just say his name?!
Meena: (eyes widen, then laughs) Ayyo, what have you done to me! If he falls sick tomorrow, I’m blaming your tea!
Priya: Deal. But if nothing happens, you owe me a samosa and a public “Suresh” shout.
Meena: Okay fine. Baby steps. Maybe next time I’ll say “Suresh” in my mind.
Priya: That’s progress! We’ll get there. One name at a time.
[End scene with both friends laughing, the sun setting behind them.]
Science Vs Superstition 
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