It never matters if it is ‘Matrubhumi’ or ‘Daily Vidette’. From the place where there is always news about sexual and mental harassment, where there is always a racial discrimination, where always people are forced to follow the ‘rules’ (which only God knows who made!)...
***
Taking my eyes off the ‘Daily Vidette’ looking out through the window pane I wiped off a part of mist from it which was blocking my vision as the bus crossed South Main Street to pick up two others from the next stop. As they got in they gave me a big smile and were seated just opposite to me. They would have found it funny seeing me winter struck, cheeks ruddy, shivering inside the bus! When I returned my courtesy to them they got me involved in a conversation. Though it was a tough time for me to compile the slang of the black* man, I continued with the conversation; the white* lady sitting beside him repeating it again for me at times. When he switched the topic to Thanksgiving and started asking me more questions about ‘turkey’ (which I came to know what a ‘turkey’ is just a few days back), I said him that that is going to be my first thanksgiving. Then he exclaimed on that saying something like this “Oh! Swo Th-Ii-ss ish you’ first thansgivin’?”. It took a couple of seconds for me to catch it and as I answered his question with “yes”, he asked me where I am from. I said “India”. Every single person in the bus looked at me when I said this even including the driver! It wasn’t that they were unaccustomed to seeing one from India, but not someone showing interest in talking with native English people especially a black*.
For the next five minutes of my journey I only heard of ‘turkey feast’, ‘turkey roast’, ‘turkey dressing’. He taught me all from the time a turkey comes to Earth to the moment when that turkey goes to his stomach! And I kept on listening to it as if I am going for a ‘turkey test’ tomorrow (which was again a hard time with his slang)! When he finished with his ‘turkey’ he asked me ‘How old are you’! Knowing that everyone’s attention is on me, still with a question in my mind ‘unwillingly’ I said “23”. Suddenly the lady next to him voiced “She is not the right one for you! She is so small”!!!
God! Not so sure if my blood started draining down but I was sure that my cheeks were becoming pale this time. I don’t know if I started feeling uneasy when all others including the man, that lady and even the driver in the bus found it funny and started laughing on her comment! Anyway, without giving more time for my ‘embarrassment’ to take me away I came back to the present and gave that man a smile as the bus reached ‘Driving License Office’. Don’t know why but each and every single person in the bus waved me a hand when I stood up to get down at that stop. As I crossed the road and started walking, my mind was totally obsessed with only one thing - “The intricacies of human mind”. Striking the right chord in a relation often proves a hard nut to crack. Isn’t it?
It never matters if it is ‘Matrubhumi’ or ‘Daily Vidette’. From the place where there is always news about sexual and mental harassment, where there is always a racial discrimination, where always people are forced to follow the ‘rules’ (which only God knows who made!) – It is the same kind of people everywhere. As the fog from my mouth covered my specs it started blocking my vision again!
***
*Color: I would like to quote something here which Britney (a Black girl) said me last day – “They won’t care how you are! They only consider three things – if your skin color is ‘black’ – if your hair is something curly or primed like mine – if your lips are like this (showing her lips), then you are considered as an African American! No matter how hard you try to show case yourself!”. It was the intense feeling of ‘some’ pain fuming inside her which Britney mentioned in simple words like this!
No comments:
Post a Comment