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Old man with blue T-shirt
I was in Gurgaon for last four months. I came here in Hyderabad in July. I have opted to go in a paying guest accommodation as my location was not yet decided. I saw lots of options, but I didn’t find any good option. Hygiene was a big problem. Finally we found a hotel. It is a hotel cum P.G., some rooms of it has been given on monthly basis and some on daily basis. I with one of my friend shifted to a P.G. accommodation. We have shifted on third floor, as we are very much fond of fresh air and natural light. We can’t tolerate dirt and haphazard stuffs.
There is a mess on the top floor of the hotel. We used to go out for lunch and dinner, as the caterer of the mess is Bengali and we are not used to of Bengali cuisine. We also didn’t find that mess hygienic, the workers out there are so dirty and they don’t even care of dining etiquettes. Unclean utensils and unclean hands of waiters used to remind us not to go to the mess.
We only used to have the food in that mess, when it was not possible to go out. Generally when we used to be so tired or it used to be raining. There was a worker with blue T-shirt and royal blue checks on it. He used to wear green colored trousers on it, which were turning in to black as it was not cleaned since ages. He was almost winding up his fifties. He used to be so shaggy and dirty, that he used to smell badly at times. I think he used to take bath on monthly basis. Why am I describing the color of his dress? Because he used to wear it daily. He never used to change it. Every single day you could find him in the same condition and the dress. People used to call him “Kaka”. He only knew the Bengali language. He was so dumb that he didn’t even response when you talk to him in Hindi or any other language; he would just turn his head and would go back, without looking at you. This was the most irritating action of Kaka. People used to shout him when he used to come for service, they asked him to send anybody else to take the order, as he didn’t understand their language.
It was 11 at night. We were coming from some work. We thought of having diner in that mess only. We went up, only Kaka was there. He served water and stood there as if he was waiting for the order. We ordered some vegetable; he smiled and shook his head. That was the first reaction that we have ever got from him. He was trying to say that nothing is left, but it touched us a lot that we haven’t said anything to him. He was wearing the same old blue t-shirt. We were so tired that we decided not to go to the market and have food. We thought of having snacks that we keep in our room for such situations. Suddenly he went back to the kitchen and called up a boy there and asked him to respond us. Kaka said something to him and he translated it to us. When we heard, we were stunned. He said Kaka is asking only milk is there in the kitchen if you want to have it with your snacks?
We were shocked that how he understood what we spoke to each other. We order milk and sat there to wait. In between Kaka was also sitting there and waiting for us to finish the milk and go back, so that he can close the mess. We asked kaka how he understood our language. He replied in bengali. As I have some of my Bengali friends, so I was able to manipulate what he was talking. I was talking to kaka as if we know each other so well. This was the first time I saw him talking. I asked him about his life. He said that he used to work as a dishwasher in some village near Kolkata. In his family only wife and a son are there, who stay there in the village only. I asked him why do you work when your son is young enough to work, you are so old now? He murmured something and looked at the kitchen and called that boy to bring the milk. He gave such a reaction as if he was not listening to me. I asked again, and then he said something with shivering tongue, which I manipulated as “his son is mentally unfit. His wife works as maid in the village. She looks after him. I asked him how much you earn here. He replied 1200. In between the boy came and served the milk. Kaka went silent and started whipping the tables. We had milk and came back to our room.
Suddenly I realized that conversation was so smooth that language difference has made no impact. We were talking to each other as if we know each other so well. The talk was preceded by expressions. I was trying to manipulate his expressions and maybe he was trying mine. I don’t know what that common language through which we were talking was. I think that was the language of humanity. That day I haven’t paid attention to his dirty clothes or sweating face. The only thing which was getting focused in my mind was his voice and pains that lying under the wrinkles of his face.
That day I was not able to sleep for hours. I have realized the reason that why didn’t he used to wear only one blue T-shirt. I haven’t even paid attention towards his shaggy looks, for which he was famous. All of his no hygiene was not materialistic from that day. That night I realized that everything in this world has its own reason. Now I don’t have any complaint with his blue T-shirt, everyday it looks as new one, with a new color.
There is a mess on the top floor of the hotel. We used to go out for lunch and dinner, as the caterer of the mess is Bengali and we are not used to of Bengali cuisine. We also didn’t find that mess hygienic, the workers out there are so dirty and they don’t even care of dining etiquettes. Unclean utensils and unclean hands of waiters used to remind us not to go to the mess.
We only used to have the food in that mess, when it was not possible to go out. Generally when we used to be so tired or it used to be raining. There was a worker with blue T-shirt and royal blue checks on it. He used to wear green colored trousers on it, which were turning in to black as it was not cleaned since ages. He was almost winding up his fifties. He used to be so shaggy and dirty, that he used to smell badly at times. I think he used to take bath on monthly basis. Why am I describing the color of his dress? Because he used to wear it daily. He never used to change it. Every single day you could find him in the same condition and the dress. People used to call him “Kaka”. He only knew the Bengali language. He was so dumb that he didn’t even response when you talk to him in Hindi or any other language; he would just turn his head and would go back, without looking at you. This was the most irritating action of Kaka. People used to shout him when he used to come for service, they asked him to send anybody else to take the order, as he didn’t understand their language.
It was 11 at night. We were coming from some work. We thought of having diner in that mess only. We went up, only Kaka was there. He served water and stood there as if he was waiting for the order. We ordered some vegetable; he smiled and shook his head. That was the first reaction that we have ever got from him. He was trying to say that nothing is left, but it touched us a lot that we haven’t said anything to him. He was wearing the same old blue t-shirt. We were so tired that we decided not to go to the market and have food. We thought of having snacks that we keep in our room for such situations. Suddenly he went back to the kitchen and called up a boy there and asked him to respond us. Kaka said something to him and he translated it to us. When we heard, we were stunned. He said Kaka is asking only milk is there in the kitchen if you want to have it with your snacks?
We were shocked that how he understood what we spoke to each other. We order milk and sat there to wait. In between Kaka was also sitting there and waiting for us to finish the milk and go back, so that he can close the mess. We asked kaka how he understood our language. He replied in bengali. As I have some of my Bengali friends, so I was able to manipulate what he was talking. I was talking to kaka as if we know each other so well. This was the first time I saw him talking. I asked him about his life. He said that he used to work as a dishwasher in some village near Kolkata. In his family only wife and a son are there, who stay there in the village only. I asked him why do you work when your son is young enough to work, you are so old now? He murmured something and looked at the kitchen and called that boy to bring the milk. He gave such a reaction as if he was not listening to me. I asked again, and then he said something with shivering tongue, which I manipulated as “his son is mentally unfit. His wife works as maid in the village. She looks after him. I asked him how much you earn here. He replied 1200. In between the boy came and served the milk. Kaka went silent and started whipping the tables. We had milk and came back to our room.
Suddenly I realized that conversation was so smooth that language difference has made no impact. We were talking to each other as if we know each other so well. The talk was preceded by expressions. I was trying to manipulate his expressions and maybe he was trying mine. I don’t know what that common language through which we were talking was. I think that was the language of humanity. That day I haven’t paid attention to his dirty clothes or sweating face. The only thing which was getting focused in my mind was his voice and pains that lying under the wrinkles of his face.
That day I was not able to sleep for hours. I have realized the reason that why didn’t he used to wear only one blue T-shirt. I haven’t even paid attention towards his shaggy looks, for which he was famous. All of his no hygiene was not materialistic from that day. That night I realized that everything in this world has its own reason. Now I don’t have any complaint with his blue T-shirt, everyday it looks as new one, with a new color.
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