There was a thud in the balcony. The hawker had flung-delivered the daily bundle of five-six newspapers that I was getting as a journalist. Like any other day, I took out first the newspaper which I was working for. And understandably, being a reporter, I would look for my story or stories first.
Invariably, most of us seldom go over to other stories, howsoever important they may be, till we have gone through our own output. This is a common trait. There is nothing unusual about it.
But that morning, I was awestruck to see a beautiful ad on the front page of our rival newspaper. The quarter page ad showed a tumbler-sized vase with beautiful flowers in it placed by the side of a well-known brand of a portable typewriter (I would call it R-20) on an office table. That was in the early 1970s so I can’t recollect the ad’s catch line. But what I vividly remember is that the use of the flower vase as a prop had enhanced the appeal of R-20, which was a beautifully-shaped typewriter any way. So irresistible was the ad and the charm of R-20 that for some moments I forgot that I had to study all the newspapers for what we call in journalistic parlance ‘post mortem examination’ and discussion in the editorial meeting in office.
Those days (when internet and computer were not known), we frequently came across ads of typewriters — portable and standard ones. But at least for me (I don’t know about others) R-20 stood out. Forty five years have passed since then, but even today, the setting in which R-20 was shown has not faded away from my memory. I finished reading the newspapers with a hangover of R-20 on my mind. One could describe it as my excessive obsession. I would not have contradicted it because it was true. Anyways, I had decided to acquire one at the earliest. They say you can get what you aspire for sincerely.
As luck would have it, my office was going to replace a newly bought R-20 with a standard-sized model. The office had purchased it because it had become a rage those days, but shortly after decided to dispose it off as it could not have taken the heavy workload of a newspaper office. I grabbed the opportunity and bought it cheap for my personal use.
My wish had been fulfilled. I was happy to be the proud owner of an olive green R-20. It was handled with care like a baby and kept dust free. The feather-touch typing on it was an experience in itself. The portable piece served me well, especially during my extensive tours during elections. It never required any repair.
Everything was going well when one day internet and computers appeared on the scene with a bang. The development caused cheers as well as scepticism. Undoubtedly, the internet made revolutionary changes in our lives. Heavy desktops made beelines for offices and homes, elbowing out the conventional typewriters. It is a different matter that in the initial period, desktops required a dust-free and air-conditioned environ. Today, there are no such hassles.
I knew that the days of my R-20 were soon going to be over and it was time for it to retire and rest. My typewriter had become the poor cousin of the upcoming gadgets. The changing times forced me also to buy a desktop for my personal use at home. But unlike my good old R-20, the desktop often required computer engineers to check its health.
However, with the passage of time, my typewriter’s health was worrying me too. Rendered out of use and working only intermittently, it was developing complications. Its printing hammer keys had become weak, some appeared paralysed. They shied away from printing any alphabet on the paper on the roller.
Some time back, I spent considerable time inquiring about some typewriter repairing shops. Several people gave a blunt ‘No’ for an answer. One stared at me as if suspecting my sanity, wondering how I was talking about typewriter in this age of internet and emails.
Today, my R-20 is languishing inside its cover in a corner of my study. I am preserving it as a memento of yesteryears — the forsaken poor cousin of laptops, tablets and the likes, which may meet the same fate some day, given the speed at which technology is developing.
Lalit Raizada is a journalist based in India.
