Saturday, March 19, 2011

LOAD!

A shop that I visit often for books. A man with a husky voice. Five semesters and I'm a regular customer. It's always been the same there. Busy, crowded, loud, chaotic, queued(even if you were the first to go there when the shop had barely any customers. It takes time to look for the required book because the shop provides books on all courses. This only adds up to the fact that your request, is executed slowly even when only some customers are there).

This time however, one thing was different. Nothing less in the above parameters, an addition. The shop owner's  son. Innocent. A school going lad, around 14,15 years of age.

He had seen me. Didn't ask what I'd come for though. A little hesitation is quite likely.
I stood there for sometime thinking when they get free I'll ask for what I want. Soon enough, it dawned on me that things don't work like that, especially over here. You have to keep chanting at regular intervals until your book is finally fetched!

His dad and the other helper present at the shop were busy. So, I told him which books I wanted. It seemed odd. My first experience at this. Anyway, he conveyed it to the other person who'd search inside for them in the huge stock.

I wondered if it was his wish to be on the shop in the evening, when he could have gone playing with his friends; if he really wanted to be a part of his father's business in this way or at all.
May be it was just a day's affair and I happened to be there. But, what if it wasn't?
Could someone in his family and God forbid not, had fallen sick or something, that now in spite of his dreams (if they aren't same)he'd have to learn the dealings.

[ Brings me to another riddle of life : How much obligated should one be to their family? How much justified is their regular rambling about what they have done for us?Wasn't it their duty?
Wasn't it their decision to bring us into this world? Obviously, no one can tell their parents to have them!
Didn't they, as parents/guardians want to do it for us???
What's the blabbering about then? To the extent that it becomes emotional blackmail. To the point one feels stiflingly indebted, that they give in to their wishes.

The worst case however is of the LAST WISH! Damn! To me it seems (in many cases)as the last chance to get one's any wish fulfilled. It's immoral to even question it!

Just thought of this one- Consider a dying someone who wants to see their someone (A)get married before they leave this world!
A marries B, knowing B is gay(just that A and B have opposite orientations). It's a win-win-win. Dying person dies peacefully. A and B can have their freedom back.
Now, the dying person was lied to. What grounds can be found to create a moral attack on A?? Is A selfish? Or that an individual's wish should matter? Is it  a problem if one's not okay with the claustrophobic values in the system? ]

Anyway...

It'd been a long time and my books were not out yet. I'd told the helper too but even when you tell them, if another request arrives, they start serving it. It's like STACK just that my request is never on the TOP!

That boy was aware of the delay too. Even he told that guy to find the book because "bahut der se khade hai...". Obviously, there were other requests in queue(STACK!).

Finally, I asked the owner for the books(like I'd not done that earlier) which just clashed with his bill making.
followed by "are me kar raha hu sabka..."; "Bahut der se khade hai" by me and his "me aap se zaada der se khada hu.." to which I made an irritated face and looked the other side and then he shot out the golden words, "inki [book name],[book name] nikal dena".

Right then, that boy came out with a book in his hand...(I hadn't noticed when he went inside) and gave it to me.

Gradually, he may fathom all that is "business mindedness". He too will realize there will be delays, uncertainties, unavailability; he'll learn to not be moved by any and counter back like his father very well does!


6 comments:

  1. was able to live the sitiuation!! very well written !!

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  2. Nice showcase of the Engineering environment. Long time now, out of the college but a journey down the memory lane.

    Do visit my blog too: www.lucky-vagabond.blogspot.com

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  3. Gotta agree... it was your parents decision to bring you into this world. Now it's them saying that we chose to bring you into this world, and then we sacrificed, blah and blah for you.. so you should be eternally grateful.. that's what a lot of kids have to choke on.

    turning quite philosophical my dear :)

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  4. i like the way you shifted focus from something mundane to something intensely deep, when you spoke about the obligations and all. I kinda agree to your viewpoint, but it depends on the situation...

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    1. It's precisely the point that how something seemingly trivial may have strong, deep forces behind it.

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