No 12962, Monday 15 Jun 2020, Incognito

Solution to 18D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular/novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

ACROSS

8   Legendary garden in Shepshed, England (4) EDEN [T]

9   The Black Superman hung around the same place giving evidence of being elsewhere (5) ALIBI {ALI}{IB<=}

10 Test Ms West on return around 10 (4) EXAM {MA{X}E<=}

11 Desert Indian astrophysicist and artists (6) SAHARA {SAHA}{RA}

12 Slaughter religious congregation on moderately large area of land (8) MASSACRE {MASS}{ACRE}

13 Forensic reconstruction of tall trees (8) CONIFERS*

15 Sailor on street overseas (6) ABROAD {AB}{ROAD}

17 Spy cola being mixed for fabulous nymph (7) CALYPSO*

19 Cause for doom? (3,4) BAD MOOD {DOOM}* [RA] [CD]

22 Store arranged to import English musical equipment (6) STEREO {STORE}* over {E}

24 Lands producing fruits or vegetables (8) ORCHARDS {OR}{CHARDS}

26 Sceptic coasting at sea (8) AGNOSTIC*

28 Narrate once again about legendary Swiss marksman (6) RETELL {RE}{TELL}

30 Nurse’s vehicle is followed by ambulance at last (4) CARE {CAR}{a...cE}

31 Egg-containers? (5) NESTS [CD]

32 Signify “average” (4) MEAN [DD]

DOWN

1   Silly aide gives suggestion (4) IDEA*

2   Hiding that thing in India, South Africa and New York? That's madness (8) INSANITY {IT} in {IN}{SA}{NY}

3   Cope with silver in hair (6) MANAGE {MAN{AG}E}

4   Thai people prepare sesame oil without use of liquid oxygen initially (7) SIAMESE {SESAME+oIl}*

5   Kiss a Han wildly in African capital (8) KINSHASA*

6   Engineers brace and set things right (6) REPAIR {RE}{PAIR}

7   Keralite carried by Indian Airlines? (4) NAIR [T]

14 Portia drops setter and dances creating a visual treat (2,3) OP ART PORTiA*

16 Evade one chasm (5) AVOID {A}{VOID}

18 Just croon about drink (8) S?O?T?N? (Addendum - SPORTING - {S{PORT}ING} - See comments)

20 Until then, it’s setter against setter (8) MEANTIME {ME}{ANTI}{ME}

21 Inexpensive stool built around water closet (3-4) LOW-COST {LO{WC}OST*}

23 Hordes clamber around Greek island (6) RHODES*

25 Stroke vehicle on English ship (6) CARESS {CAR}{E}{SS}

27 Good! Ant mutated into another insect! (4) GNAT {G}{ANT*}

29 Look — a fine block of bread (4) LOAF {LO}{A}{F}

Reference List

Artists = RA, Sailor = AB, English = E, About = RE, Engineers = RE(Royal Engineers), Setter = I, ME, English = E, Ship = SS, Good = G, Look = LO, Fine = F

Dr RKEs TalePiece

Kris NAIR was born in KINSHASA. It was his mother’s IDEA that he be named “Kris” instead of the Krishnankutty that his grandfather had insisted upon.  His father, an employee of the SAHARA Infrastructures, was often transferred and to AVOID disruptions in his son’s education, sent him to “The EDEN”, an upmarket boarding school in Kochi. Of course, this was still LOW COST compared to schools in the UK or US. Initially, the young boy missed the CARESS of his mom but this was made up for by the CARE shown by his teachers. The boy MANAGEd to do extremely well in the EXAMs and also shone on the SPORTING field. For these achievements, he won a RHODES scholarship and went to Oxford university.

Being away from home through his formative years, had made him self-confident and self-reliant. Nevertheless he missed the RETELLing of the tales from Indian epics by his parents or grandparents. This MEANt that he grew up rootless in the cultural, moral and spiritual spheres. It is no surprise that he turned an AGNOSTIC.

It was in Oxford that he met his future wife Tara Patel, who was a student of OP-ART. She was his polar opposite in background, attitude and values but don’t we all know that “unlike poles attract”? They came to India for a holiday and Tara had chosen an ashram-retreat “The NEST” in Himachal Pradesh, set amidst the apple ORCHARDS. The place had a beautiful view of the CONIFERS on the distant Himalayan slopes. Kris was in a BAD MOOD as he wanted an action and adventure packed holiday rather than a do-nothing-relax kind. Tara just about managed to get him to attend some Kundalini Yoga sessions. Kris who initially felt all this was humbug, gradually experienced an inner calm pervade through him as he went through the sessions. The awakening helped him REPAIR his nerves, frayed as they were by the constant pressure to perform, excel and stay on top. By the first week, he had become a transformed man.

Now, don’t expect me to say, Kris went on to LOAF in the Himalayas as a mendicant as had happened to some seekers from ABROAD. Tara had rescued him from succumbing to the INSANITY of the rat race. The couple now successfully run a school for alternate education near Shimla, a more holistic one, than what he had had. Kris has realized that material and spiritual development are like SIAMESE twins, inseparable for life.