[Scene: A tea shop in Madurai, late evening. The sky is clear, stars are beginning to appear, and the two friends are sipping hot chai on a bench outside the shop.]
Manoj: (gasping and pointing to the sky) Ayyo! Did you see that? A shooting star!
Ravi: (grinning) Yeah, beautiful, no? Makes you feel tiny in this vast universe.
Manoj: Beautiful? Are you mad? That’s a bad omen! A meteor means something unfortunate is about to happen. It’s been said for generations!
Ravi: Manoj, that’s just a space rock burning up in the atmosphere. It’s not some cosmic warning sent to ruin your day.
Manoj: That’s what you think. Last time I saw one, I lost my scooter key the next morning. I was late for my cousin’s wedding. Then a jackal howled on the way. Guess what? The priest slipped and dropped the thali in the mandapam!
Ravi: Or… hear me out… maybe you’re just bad with keys, and that priest should’ve worn better sandals. You can’t blame meteors and jackals for human clumsiness!
Manoj: But how do you explain the deer that ran across our car on our Ooty trip last year? From the left! Ten minutes later, our tire burst.
Ravi: And how do you explain the thousands of people who see deer every day and have perfectly fine tires? Manoj, your brain is just stitching events together after the fact. It’s a psychological effect – we remember coincidences more than normal days.
Manoj: So you mean my entire belief system is just my brain playing connect-the-dots?
Ravi: Pretty much. It’s like that time you thought wearing your lucky shirt helped India win the match.
Manoj: Don’t you dare insult the lucky shirt. We’ve won 8 out of 10 matches when I wore it.
Ravi: And what about the 2 we lost?
Manoj: I spilled sambar on it, couldn’t wear it. Coincidence? I think not.
Ravi: (laughing) Come on, buddy. Look, I get it. These beliefs give a sense of control in a chaotic world. But science shows that meteors are just natural phenomena. Jackals howl for communication, not to curse you. And deer? They’re just trying to cross the road safely!
Manoj: (thoughtfully) Hmm… but then why do all the old people say it? My paati swore by these signs.
Ravi: Your paati also thought sleeping with wet hair gives you pneumonia and that sneezing once before leaving the house means canceling plans.
Manoj: Well… okay, not everything she said was science-approved…
Ravi: Look, I’m not saying dismiss your culture. Traditions have value. But maybe we can respect them without fearing them.
Manoj: (smiling) So if I see a deer cross tomorrow, I don’t cancel my meeting?
Ravi: Nope. Just slow down, admire its grace, and don’t hit it.
Manoj: Hmm. Okay. But if I see a meteor, hear a jackal, and see a deer all in the same hour, I’m locking myself indoors.
Ravi: Fair enough. But only if I can come over and we order biryani.
Manoj: Deal. But if anything goes wrong, I’m blaming the deer.
Ravi: (laughs) And I’m blaming your sambar-stained shirt.
Science Vs Superstition 
Tell Us What You Think