The obvious corruption in the society has stopped surprising me but still saddens me. But people have to shriek, pull their eyes open all the way up to the eyebrows, jaw hung loose, customary words of agreement sputtered here and there discussing the matter for a day, two days, three, maybe a week. It's all forgotten then.
"How could he have done that," my cousin asked discussing one the recent epidemic of a news.
"Did he not for once think about what he was doing, did he not wince," Nadia is a talker too.
"Forget him, what are you doing to prevent abnormalities from sprouting in your circle," I asked in a cold, the deepest voice I can do. I had been listening to their conversation for over 45 minutes pretending to check for split ends.
"Nahi, Bajjo yaar, us ko ehsaas nahi howa hoga," she was so adamant.
"Aur the police gave him shelter!"
"Look! There is no doubt that what he did was a heinous crime and we all agree that he should be punished. We are all disgusted which is important because it shows we are alive enough to be affected when something is wrong, but what difference is discussing 'I can't believe someone can do such a thing' for hours constantly repeating the same sentence you have uttered for at least twenty times now. Now, let us talk about ourselves." I could see the two ladies growing irritated by my incessant attempts at turning the subject at them. Clearly, what they had in mind was a nice chat over the crime, throw in rumors about it, waste another good three hours, have tea and go home and repeat the cycle with a different bunch of people.
"Bajjo, kiya usko koi farq nahi parha hoga ye kar kay?"
"Kiya tumhain farq parhta hai meri urgent request of abstaining from littering se," I asked in a disinterested tone.
"Per woh to itni chhoti si baat hai," she was amazed at how I could relate the two topics.
"Exactly, jab tum itni si baat register nahi kar sakteen kay ye ek ghalat harkat hai aur stubborn ho apnay action kay baray mein, to issi ehsaas ko magnified kar kay kisi bhi amal per, level per fit kar do. To jis tarah tumhain ehsaas nahi hai ghalat sahi ka, beshak woh ek seemingly harmless level per hai, ussi tarah kisi aur insaan ko kisi harmful level per nahi hoga. And in your little endless discussion here you are oblivious to our literacy rate and efficiency of law enforcement agencies; it's funny."
"Mujhay to neend nahi aee ye khaber sun kar," she decided not to comment on what I had said.
"We as individuals give chance to inappropriate things to flourish by ignoring them on a manageable level," I had to go on, "tumharay mohn mein paanch saal se chhalay ho rahay hain, kiya tum ney beetle-nut khana chhorha? Kiya tum parhi likhi nahi ho? Ya tumhain lagta hai chhaliya nutritious cheez hai? Ya tumhain itni si baat samajh nahi aati? Ya tum arhiyal ho?"
"Bajjo, main folic-acid le rahi hun," she gave me the impression as if I was being offensive, so I did not repeat the lecture on self-treatment.
"Look, I am not trying to ridicule you, and you should consult with a Doctor, I am just raising a question to all of us, including me, that what do we do to fix things in our circles except for toppling over in evening chats a crime another has committed based on similar attributes we as a society are equiped with."
"How could he have done that," my cousin asked discussing one the recent epidemic of a news.
"Did he not for once think about what he was doing, did he not wince," Nadia is a talker too.
"Forget him, what are you doing to prevent abnormalities from sprouting in your circle," I asked in a cold, the deepest voice I can do. I had been listening to their conversation for over 45 minutes pretending to check for split ends.
"Nahi, Bajjo yaar, us ko ehsaas nahi howa hoga," she was so adamant.
"Aur the police gave him shelter!"
"Look! There is no doubt that what he did was a heinous crime and we all agree that he should be punished. We are all disgusted which is important because it shows we are alive enough to be affected when something is wrong, but what difference is discussing 'I can't believe someone can do such a thing' for hours constantly repeating the same sentence you have uttered for at least twenty times now. Now, let us talk about ourselves." I could see the two ladies growing irritated by my incessant attempts at turning the subject at them. Clearly, what they had in mind was a nice chat over the crime, throw in rumors about it, waste another good three hours, have tea and go home and repeat the cycle with a different bunch of people.
"Bajjo, kiya usko koi farq nahi parha hoga ye kar kay?"
"Kiya tumhain farq parhta hai meri urgent request of abstaining from littering se," I asked in a disinterested tone.
"Per woh to itni chhoti si baat hai," she was amazed at how I could relate the two topics.
"Exactly, jab tum itni si baat register nahi kar sakteen kay ye ek ghalat harkat hai aur stubborn ho apnay action kay baray mein, to issi ehsaas ko magnified kar kay kisi bhi amal per, level per fit kar do. To jis tarah tumhain ehsaas nahi hai ghalat sahi ka, beshak woh ek seemingly harmless level per hai, ussi tarah kisi aur insaan ko kisi harmful level per nahi hoga. And in your little endless discussion here you are oblivious to our literacy rate and efficiency of law enforcement agencies; it's funny."
"Mujhay to neend nahi aee ye khaber sun kar," she decided not to comment on what I had said.
"We as individuals give chance to inappropriate things to flourish by ignoring them on a manageable level," I had to go on, "tumharay mohn mein paanch saal se chhalay ho rahay hain, kiya tum ney beetle-nut khana chhorha? Kiya tum parhi likhi nahi ho? Ya tumhain lagta hai chhaliya nutritious cheez hai? Ya tumhain itni si baat samajh nahi aati? Ya tum arhiyal ho?"
"Bajjo, main folic-acid le rahi hun," she gave me the impression as if I was being offensive, so I did not repeat the lecture on self-treatment.
"Look, I am not trying to ridicule you, and you should consult with a Doctor, I am just raising a question to all of us, including me, that what do we do to fix things in our circles except for toppling over in evening chats a crime another has committed based on similar attributes we as a society are equiped with."
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