What is one question you hate to be asked? Explain.
A passerby encounters Mr. Sharma, a talkative retiree who enjoys reminiscing about his government job. Despite Sharma’s attempts to engage him in conversation, the passerby prefers solitude and the tranquility of his surroundings, reflecting on the drastic changes to the landscape over the decades. The area, once serene with nature, is now populated by buildings and noise. He acknowledges the cultural nuances of greetings in India but finds cliché questions and intrusive inquiries annoying. Ultimately, he politely declines an invitation from Sharma, valuing his peace over unwelcome chatter.
Passing past the house situated three houses away from the curve that led to a straight road culminating on another broader road, he met a superannuated person. “Good morning,” the sexagenarian greeted him, leaning against the gate of his house. The house he was standing in front of, was his “prized possession”. It was a fairly big house fully constructed on a two thousand square feet plot. Mr Sharma worked in a government office three years before his superannuation.
“Good morning,” he reciprocated to Mr Sharma, who seemed in a mood to converse. It was a pleasant morning. The dark sky had become clear, and a pinkish hue had started spreading from the eastern side of the azure sky. Patches of cottony clouds were drifting leisurely. The road was calm. Except for stray people, it was empty. Activities had started but at a slow pace.
He knew that Mr Sharma was a garrulous person who endlessly talked, glorifying himself and about his time in office. Sharma had a very high opinion of himself and habitually talked at length about how he tackled “ticklish conditions” during his tenure. His conversation used to be on the same line and pace. He would never consider the mood, likes and dislikes of the person before him.
He didn’t want to be entangled in an unfruitful, endless dialogue where other was not allowed to contribute except for Sharma and his endless face gratification. He wanted to enjoy the serene atmosphere and spend some time with himself. After exchanging pleasantries, he tried to go further when Sharma, catching hold of his wrist, said, “You seem in a hurry, aren’t you?” A little annoyed but in a polite tone, he replied to Sharma that he wanted to take a few strides in the fresh morning environment. He further requested to let him go, offering Sharma to join him if he so wished.
Sharma was not in a mood to stroll. He left his hand. Thanking Sharma, he moved ahead. He heard Sharma call him from behind, saying that he would like to have a conversation with him on evening tea sitting on his balcony. He consented to the proposal and moved further.
The road was straight and passed past a vast water reservoir. It happened to be a lake in the then suburb of the city. He remembered the time when he would come here to enjoy the solitude and the beauty of the lake. Birds of different kinds used to be guests of honour who would add a dimension to the ambiance. With a small guest house of two rooms, it was a place where nature lovers would spend quality time.
Within four decades, the situation and ambiance had changed drastically. The area is now a big conglomerate of brick-and-mortar structures. The vast lake with its branches has considerably dried up. The land is used to construct houses and other buildings after reclaiming it. The place, once a salubrious spot, has now been converted into a vast human habitation devoid of verdure the place was known for. Except for a few patches, the area was covered with row houses, dust, and cacophonic traffic.
Walking a little distance, he reached an open bordered land. It used to be a patch of land with ample Blackboard trees (Chitwan tree) a few decades ago. The place has now been converted into a park with a tiled promenade. The trees have been retained. With their dense canopies, the trees look beautiful and soothing. During the morning hour, people come here for a walk and exercise. It now acts as a green lung of the surrounding area.
He looked up and thanked Almighty for His bounties. He started peregrinating on the promenade, enjoying the hopping and chirping birds. The number of people was gradually swelling. The park was large enough to accommodate people without giving anyone ochlophobia feelings. The nearby water reservoir was not visible, as the buildings had obstructed the view.
A few of the visitors knew him. They did not interfere in his walk except for exchanging pleasantries. People like to say good morning when meet in the morning. Some use the conventional method of saying “Namaste” or “Namaskaar” with folded hands. Why do people say Good Morning as a greeting, his mind asked.
The phrase Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening/Night is of English origin. During the colonial period, it was imported to India, and native people felt elevated to use it. In England, the season used to be harsh, cloudy, and snowy. It must have been monotonous. Whenever the sun shone, happy people used to say Good Morning when they met each other during the morning. It was repeated in a pleasant afternoon or evening. It gained currency, and people started using it as a greeting.
Post-independence, people in the Northern belt usually use “Jai Ram Ji Ki”, “Ram Ram“, “Radhe Radhe”, and “Jai Sri Krishna” to greet each other. In the South India words like “Vadakkam” or “Suprabhatam” are used. India is a vast and varied country with many languages, so are the different words or phrases to greet. People use different words to greet according to their region and language. “Juley”, for example, is used in Ladakh and “Sat Sri Akaal” in Punjab, while “Assalamu alaikum” is also used by some.
People used to interact with each other. Before starting a conversation, they greet each other followed by some stereotypical question like “How do you do?” It is a usual way of starting communication, but to some, it seems annoying. Asking cliché questions has probably no replacement. An already annoyed person would not be in a position to answer it in affirmation.
Asking about one’s wages is yet another way that most people do not like to reply. They feel embarrassed if their wages are not attractive. They either shirk it or get irritated. Similarly, asking about family affairs is equally annoying and considered intrusive and demeaning. It is simply because they don’t want to wash their linens in public. It is a matter people don’t want to be asked. People avoid talking to a self-praising narcissist person who always talks about himself like Mr Sharma, as we discussed earlier.
Phone ranged. “Hello!” Emerged a voice in the receiver of the phone. Mr Sharma was on the line and reminding him about the promise made in the morning. Sharma repeated that and invited him. It was six, and the sun, as a big crimson ball, was ready to go down on the horizon. He knew that going to Sharma would spoil his evening. He did not want to go. After a brief pause, he politely but firmly declined that offer on the pretext of not feeling well.
After a brief persistence, Sharma agreed to and with a word or two conventional phrases of good wishes, he hanged the phone. He felt relieved as he was saved from listening to endless accounts of self-praise and boasting.
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