I suppose I’ll forgive you if you think that I have been exposed to a renewed brand presence. I suppose you’ll think that I am possibly a prime target for furniture. And impressed with a brand that is older than I am.

Because yes. Bantia is a brand I’ll never forget. Not because I’ve experienced their product. And not even because Lion Bantia is a good friend of an uncle of mine.

So what is the secret of Bantia’s success. At least as far as I am concerned.

The story goes back a few years. And goes to Secunderabad Club. To the swimming pool at the Club.

I was in the pool. Swimming. Yes, I have been known to do that. Though I must admit a certain past tense dimension to my claim. Anyway, I was in the pool. And as expected when in the pool, I did not have my spectacles on.

But who needs them in water anyway?

And that’s when I realized that I was being stared at. And not just by one person. Many pairs of eyes were boring down on me. I could feel it. Quite clearly.

Now, please understand that there is an Universal Law that applies in Swimming Pools around the world. One type of body invites you to stare. Another compels you to look away. I have always been more in sync with the latter rule. So the feeling of being stared at was new.

And uncomfortable.

Things became worse when I saw a couple of blurred figures approaching me. One was in the pool, and walking towards me in the shallows. Two were approaching me from the sides of the pool.

I’ve obviously done something wrong, I thought. Were my trunks still on? Had someone peed in the pool, and was I the suspect? Had the kids been upto some mischief? Questions like this popped up in my mind. But then I decided that I must be looking like a comic character with blurbs all around.

So I stood my ground. And waited.

The three people converged on me. One of them was in the lead.

They came up to me and started smiling. Then they exchanged knowing looks. Then I saw that they were all egging each other to make the first move on me.

I was intrigued.  Even confused. Then shocked…

The man in the lead, came up to me and said…Excuse me Sir…You are Harshad Mehta na?

Harshad Mehta. The Bombay Stock Exchange Scamster. The man who’d made a few crores. And they wanted to know if I was him.

No. No. I objected.

Don’t be embarrassed Sir, we’ll not tell anyone. We just want a photograph with you.

Arre Baba, I am not Harshad Mehta, I insisted. And then introduced myself.

They didn’t even listen. They were keen on introducing themselves.

I am Bantia, said the leader. And we are all big fans.

Sir, please. I am Vijay Marur. Not Harshad Mehta.

But they wouldn’t listen. In fact members of their family had congregated on the sides of the pool. And they were all giggling in anticipation.

What saved me was the fact that I remembered that my sister’s father in law, Mr. A. Ranga Rao, an erstwhile Lion District Governor had a friend called Lion Bantia. I asked the gentleman if he was a Lion. And when he said yes, I traced my connection to Ranga Rao Uncle.

With great difficulty and even greater reluctance the whole gang finally believed that I was not Harshad Mehta. Though I saw them all taking sneak looks as they walked away shamefacedly.

I don’t know if they remember the incident, but Bantia is a name I’ll never forget.