My mornings in IIT Kanpur, where I teach, are interspersed with sips of green tea, the longing calls of peacocks and peahens, and the purposeless barking of my neighbour’s dog. Often making things interesting is a mess in the kitchen – the result of my tendency to ignore the milk I left on the stove, and remember it just as it boils, flows over the vessel, spills on the counter, and drools to the floor.
As I curse the milk, I also can’t help but feel some sympathy for the innocent victim of this mess: my stove-lighter. Resting there in innocence on the counter, it has no idea that it is having a bad day.
These lighters are magical pieces of equipment. A push with your thumb, something clicks, and there comes a flame. If you haven’t noticed it, go to your kitchen, pick up the lighter, point it towards yourself, and watch carefully. As you click it, you will notice a small spark flying between the central rod and the cylindrical covering. But don’t worry: unless you are flammable (regular human beings are not), there is no danger of you catching fire or even getting an electric shock.
