When my dapper neighbour flashed his diamond ring from Kalyan Jewellers while smoking a Panama cigarette, I decided to give him some competition, and decided to buy mangoes. So, off I went to the nearby department store, only to realize that mangoes were selling at a price similar to French beans whose price could be interpreted as “Gavar” that appeared closer home to bitter-gourd that sounded something like bottle gourd, that wasn’t green as the “mirchi” being sold at a price similar to Ginger whose color appeared faded compared to potatoes, even as tomatoes and apples appeared similar in shape, size and price. While I stood gazing at the price tags and felt spoilt for choice, I was dumbfounded that in a country so diverse and divided, atleast the prices of vegetables, fruits and king of fruits stand united by defying all the laws of gravity, centrifugal forces, economics, demand, supply, consumption, marginal utility swerve, multiplier defect, monopoly, duopoly, oligopoly, NITI , SBI, UTI, UBI, RBI, Jet Li, Rajan, Modi, Singh, Sonia, Prabhu, Prasad, planning commission, omission and revision. Now, in the back drop of prices as mysterious as the Pathan-code, I am wondering if I should say, “Bharat khaata bhi hai?”