Aisa Bhi Hota Hai

I happened to mail my friends about an incident that happened one fine afternoon. This led to narration of another instance which made me wonder… “Kya aisa bhi hota hai?” and I heard my alter ego say, Jee haan, Aisa bhi hota hai!!

After having a delicious meal in my office canteen, my colleague and i went down for a walk. The Ganesh festival was pretty evidently being celebrated as the students of the medical college situated right in front of my office were having pre-visarjan celebrations with DJ, music and dance.

We stood in front of their gate and waited till the procession came out on the road and meanwhile other spectators also gathered to see the merriment.

A varhadi kaku (village lady) wearing a typical navvari stood next to me. We exchanged smiles as we tried to recognize the next track being played by the DJ. Strangely, she recognized the track and shouted out to me “Mala zaau dya n a ghari, aata vaajle ki 12” (Let me go home, It’s already 12) with her head banging to the music seeking a reassurance from me.

And I replied, “Naahi kaku, 12 kehva che vaajle. Aata 1 vaajla aahe. (No madam. It’s past 12. Now it’s almost 1)”

She looked at me and I couldn’t make out whether she laughed at me or was she enjoying the visarjan procession.

Later, I found myself humming the same song…and I couldn’t help but laugh at the reply I gave her.

A friend replies on this narration:

You are still better….

Maloo ke ODC mein ek sardarji hai (Soumo ka college ka senior)….jo bahut saal Calcutta mein raha hai ya abhi bhi reheta hai…so he knows Bengali…
 I did not know him….ek din woh aaya aur mere se bangali mein poocha: Kamon aacho?? (Kaisa hai)….I was stunned ki sardar hoke bangali kaise aati isko and I asked him in return: Tumi Bangali?? (R u a Bengali)….  He was shocked and so was I, as I realized that I am asking a sardar whether he is a Bengali or not….