In Guddu’s dictionary, there is no such word as boredom. In his free time, Guddu always manages to find something meaningful and of much interest that makes him busy and helps him spend quality time when all alone.

This time, however, Guddu is unable to find anything worth doing. He is thinking of something thrilling that could offer him the much-needed spark, sufficient enough to ignite a creative flame within him.

He desperately looks around the room in search of something extraordinary and his eyes rests on the electronic tablet. Nobody at home can use the device more skilfully than Guddu, who happens to know each and every function of it. However, Guddu thinks it is not such a big deal to develop proficiency in using electronic gadgets and devices, as instead of one’s high IQ level, it is just a matter of practice that helps one achieve mastery in operating different gadgets and apps.

There is another amazing thing that Guddu often finds worth spending time with. It is his smartwatch, which is just like a minicomputer worn on a wrist and used for such multiple functions as time telling, game-playing, calculations, etc.

Yet again, Guddu questions what’s so special about wearing and using a smartwatch when any fool with some money can buy a smartwatch and use it?

Guddu suddenly realises that a few months ago, he was gifted a book by his science teacher. Guddu decides to read the book, which is about Thomas Alva Edison.

“What a great inventor he was,” Guddu honours Edison after reading the book. “He was such an intelligent and hardworking man,” thinks Guddu and decides to invent something on his own.

“Yes, I will make something on my own!” Guddu makes a promise to himself, but has no clue where to start from.

“Bhai jan! How can I become an inventor?” asks Guddu.

“You can never become an inventor unless you invent something,” Bhai jan’s response is quite blunt, but this time Guddu does not take it to heart because he knows Bhai jan is the person who can help him in achieving his ultimate objective.

“That’s the problem here. Could you please guide me where to start from?” Guddu is still confused about how to kick-start the process that ultimately leads to invention.

“Every invention is based on an idea. Do you have any new idea to work on?” Bhai jan explains the starting point, “You first need to find a unique idea that has not been conceived by anyone else.”

Though Guddu is always full of ideas, this is going to be the first occasion when he has to think beyond how to celebrate a birthday party or how to collect lots of Eidi even from neighbours. This time, the task is quite different as he is supposed to deliberate about making something that has not been created by anyone else.

“Should the idea be related to creating and assembling a new machine, or could it be anything recycled or redesigned that fulfils a human need besides being unique and out-of-the-box?” Guddu wants to know more about the do’s and don’ts of innovation.

“Yes, it can be anything. For instance, it can be a redesigned dental floss that can pass between the teeth more smoothly without causing any harm to the teeth and gums, or it can even be a piece of bread offered with ‘pre-perforated slices’ to help people break and eat the bread in a more convenient way. When it comes to innovation, the sky’s the limit!” Bhai jan defines the scope of innovation, which is not merely restricted to making complex, sophisticated machineries. Even a minor modification made in an item of daily-use can be termed as real innovation.

“Wow! That’s so easy and simple,” Guddu exclaims with a sound of relief and happiness.

“No. New inventions demand a real display of creativity and intelligence to make even a minor change in any machine or product, let alone create a new thing out of nothing. I suggest you better confine yourself to PlayStation and forget about being an inventor. It is not a child’s play,” Bhai jan simply states.

“Bhai jan! I can prove you wrong. I have a wonderful idea about an invention that was not conceived even by Edison or Marconi,” claims Guddu with pride and confidence.

“What’s that, Guddu?” asks Bhai jan in astonishment.

“Well, before the introduction of colour TV, there used to be black and white television sets. However, the ‘colour radio’ was not conceived by any scientist, though the radio was invented decades before the invention of television. Now I am going to make the world’s first ‘colour radio’. Isn’t a great idea?” says Guddu, with no idea of what he is talking about.

“A colour radio?” Bhai jan starts laughing. “Guddu, your idea is really awesome. To make it happen, you don’t need to use your small brain at all, as you just require a couple of paint colours and a brush to invent a ‘colour radio’. That’s it!”

Guddu soon realises his intellectual error and leaves the room in embarrassment. However, despite Bhai jan’s heartbreaking taunt, there is no stopping Guddu from achieving his goal, which is to become an inventor.

The next morning heralds the start of another day as usual, but something special is going to happen. Guddu wakes up quite early and goes to the nearby market without even eating his breakfast. He searches for the cobbler who is sitting at the corner of the road and asks him to give him a long leather strap, as well as an aluminium buckle. He also buys a measuring tape and an adhesive from the hardware store. He then comes back home, picks up the toolbox from the storeroom and locks himself in his room until he is able to come out with something that could be called an invention.

After many hours, Guddu comes out from his room and directly goes to Bhai jan to show him something he has never seen.

“Here you are,” says Guddu, showing a new waist belt to Bhai jan.

“It is a waist belt, I believe. Did you make it yourself?” asks Bhai jan.

“Yes, it’s my invention,” says Guddu, at the top of his voice.

“How can you say it is your invention? It looks to be simply a common belt worn around the waist.” asks Bhai jan, questioning the validity of Guddu’s tall claim.

“It’s not just a belt. It’s a ‘waist-measuring belt,’ better to call it a ‘smartbelt,” says Guddu.

“A ‘smartbelt?’” Bhai jan is still in a state of confusion.

“Yes. Look at its back side, which is attached with a simple measuring tape to help you keep an eye on your waist size without using a separate tape for waist measurement,” Guddu assertively introduces his invention.

“The ‘smartbelt’ is a dual-purpose device. Besides being a regular clothing accessory worn around the waist, it can be particularly useful for weight-conscious people like you, who take all necessary steps to control their weight through regular exercise and controlled diet, and regularly monitor their waist circumference to keep an eye on unwanted bulge and remain in shape. As you already know that our waist size tends to be an indicator of potential health risks that are largely associated with obesity and overweight, therefore, the belt can be taken as a ‘health-friendly’ clothing accessory that can also serve as a barometer of health. The best way would be to stamp a measure on the backside of the strap to make the measuring function a mandatory part of the waist belt,” Guddu excitedly explains the functionality of his invention in a single breath, making Bhai jan surprised and shocked.

“What a great idea! Guddu, you are a real inventor, because you have conceived such a simple, but great idea we have never thought of before,” admits Bhai jan with a sense of acknowledgement.

“Thank you, Bhai jan,” says Guddu, waving the ‘smartbelt’ in the air, a jubilant gesture that announces his new identity as an inventor — Guddu, the inventor!

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 22nd, 2018