Friday early morning my cooler emitted some strange sound and bad smell and then died on me. Now we live in Sardarland so obviously the electrician who work for us is also a Sardarji. So I called him and he said he would send his assistant. The assistant duly came, looked into my cooler, fixed a wire and taped it. That was it. I asked him how much I needed to pay. He called his boss the Sardar and then after 2 minutes of conversation said the bill was for Rs 150. !!!!! Rs 150! Isn’t that a bit too much for such a small job? Well apparently Sardar did not think so. So I spoke to the Sardarji on the phone and in my excitement I told him “aap kya daku hain?” (Are you a dacoit?) and Sardarji got damn upset. He asked me to give the phone to his assistant and asked the fellow to go back without taking any money.
After 10 minutes or so, there is a loud calling bell and Sardarji climbs huffing and puffing. He was breathing so hard, I asked him to sit down before he plunged into conversation. Once he had got his breathe under control he said “Aap ne mujhe daku bola. Zindegi main kisi ne kabhi kisi ne mujhe daku nehi bola. Agar aap ladka hote to main apko mar dalta…”. I realized he is really upset, so I explained to him my Hindi is broken and very wobbly, and then I apologized, but nothing had any kind of effect on him. He kept repeating “Aap ne mujhe daku bola.” And with every repeat he was getting more and more emotional, almost misty eyed, about to cry types. Anyways he left all the while saying “Aap ne mujhe daku bola.”
Now I am a not-so-brave Bong soul, I got all worked up thinking how hurt Sardarji must have got and then my imagination took a flying leap visualizing being killed by a Sardar in Sardarland! But then after sometime the assistant came and took money from me and told me since you said daku, Sardarji is a bit upset. The assistant was laughing and having fun at Sardar’s expense. So did me and my roomies at night, and now today all my colleagues at office.
Sardarji I am sorry if I hurt you. Didn’t mean daku literally.
After 10 minutes or so, there is a loud calling bell and Sardarji climbs huffing and puffing. He was breathing so hard, I asked him to sit down before he plunged into conversation. Once he had got his breathe under control he said “Aap ne mujhe daku bola. Zindegi main kisi ne kabhi kisi ne mujhe daku nehi bola. Agar aap ladka hote to main apko mar dalta…”. I realized he is really upset, so I explained to him my Hindi is broken and very wobbly, and then I apologized, but nothing had any kind of effect on him. He kept repeating “Aap ne mujhe daku bola.” And with every repeat he was getting more and more emotional, almost misty eyed, about to cry types. Anyways he left all the while saying “Aap ne mujhe daku bola.”
Now I am a not-so-brave Bong soul, I got all worked up thinking how hurt Sardarji must have got and then my imagination took a flying leap visualizing being killed by a Sardar in Sardarland! But then after sometime the assistant came and took money from me and told me since you said daku, Sardarji is a bit upset. The assistant was laughing and having fun at Sardar’s expense. So did me and my roomies at night, and now today all my colleagues at office.
Sardarji I am sorry if I hurt you. Didn’t mean daku literally.
Hahahahhhahhhaahhhaaaaahhaaaa......foot in mouth big time......hahahhhhahhaaa......Bongsand their Hindi I tell you......Want to let you know that it is this honesty of yours and the capacity to laugh at yourself that draws me to your writing time and again......don't you ever change this basic quality
ReplyDeletemuthu god, father and mother promise i wont :)
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