Monday, June 13, 2011

Etiquettes anyone?

I was travelling to Nasik in a semi luxury bus and long bus rides are something that I do not really look forward to, unless absolutely necessary. Anyway, this time I had decided to make the most of my journey and had equipped myself with some movies. My journey started and so did the first movie on my laptop. I was watching Omen - yeah the old one. "Mi pahila tar chalel na (Would you mind me watching?)" - the man sitting next to me asked. He was a villager dressed in the typical attire of white dhoti and a semi white kurta. "Mala sanagamner la utraycha aahe. laambcha prawas, tevdha picture baghitla ki kalnar nahin...chalel ka?" (I have to travel far and watching the movie would be a good timepass). I hate intruders in my book reading or movie watching sessions but the man had so earnestly asked me that I could not refuse him. "Pan tumhala sound aiku nahin yenar......", i told him showing him my headphones. He retorted, "Vanda nahin.....aamhi faqt picture baghu..."(No probs, I will just watch the movie). I was wondering how he could enjoy without the sound but I just it let it be because I didn't really have a choice. A few hours into the movie and I got bored, so I decided to change the movie. As i was about to start another one, I suddenly remembered that someone else was watching it too.....I looked at him and he signed me to go ahead and change the movie. This time I started “To kill a mocking bird" (Yeah i was in mood for some oldies).......I loved the movie and was completely immersed in it when suddenly I felt the nudge. I looked at my co-passenger and he was smiling. I put down my headphones and he said..... "Aaala sangamner...picture baghta baghta kevha aala kalalach nahin bagha.....dhanyawaad tai". (My stop has come, thanks for the movie sister). Saying so, he got down.

I kept looking at him. All through my journey I had not given him a second glance. Yet while getting down he had the etiquette to thank me.......and thank me for what...an english movie that he watched without the sound. I smiled........we spend a fortune trying to teach and learn etiquettes from our elite schools...and I wonder if we really do learn anything.


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