Overshadowed

Rishi and I had gone to shop for groceries the other day and we had almost reached the billing counter when this 20-something girl accosted us. She was trying to sell something, I said sorry and moved on. We were in the billing queue when I heard "Excuse me, Ma'am!" behind me. It was the same girl again. She wanted to know if I was from Kerala. I've encountered this myth all through my life but I've not seen a single Malayali with hair thicker or longer than mine actually. Anyway, I said I wasn't and she predictably said it was my hair. I said okay. Next predictable question was how I managed to have such a hair(despite not being a Keralite?). I blamed it on heredity(that may be half true but it generally saves me from further half-truths). She was sad and showed me her hair which she said was falling(it was, right there) because of some health issues. I nodded my head. I thought we were almost done when she jumped, wrung her hands and said I should give her at least one tip, one clue as to what I did. I sighed and said it was coconut oil. She brightened up as if I had offered her a lifeline.Was I getting it from some village? Yes, it was from my native place. Did I get it directly from...? We got it from the oil mill. Wonderful! Did I use that oil for anything else too? She almost said yes on my behalf so I gave it to her. Yes, I did use coconut oil for some of my cooking. She was satisfied now. She shook my hand and said it was surreal that even in today's times there were people like me who followed such lifestyle. What!! I had no answer to this so I said I had no choice. What!!! Left me feeling like a near-extinct tribe or something.

All this while Rishi was standing there, fidgeting and rolling his eyes.