SOME PEOPLE

 Some people 

The caption is quite broad and therefore vague too. Why I chose this? I have no genuine defence. Yet, I have embarked on this merely in an attempt to bring in some typical characters that we encounter in our daily life. I have employed the term “encounter,” as some of them choose to interfere with everything that goes on in public places and keep pronouncing judgements on anything including bullion rates. For them ‘knowledge’ is a domain not given to anyone else.  So, they assume to have a rightful duty of airing their views as a pronouncement for all to learn from. Many people enjoy these pranks as a means of passing the time. It is taken as a sign of serious deficiency of information among the public. This thought possesses them and they “assume” all “rights” for themselves. They are also fond of dropping names of high profile personalities as if they were next door neighbours confiding top official secrets with them every night. Once they realize that people are attentive to their utterances, they start narrations that can never be verified.

Some of them:

Invariably, they choose to play their craft in queues where people have already formed an orderly file. As if an official nominee, the person would walk along the line surveying the persons by a slanted look, implying that all of them are lesser mortals. Some in the line feel the person plans to intrude and raise an objection renting the air without referring to any one. But, ‘our man’ knows the clarion call and politely tells “very good, this alertness is what the country needs; don’t worry, I shall not violate rules, see I am 3 feet away from the line” He does not stop anywhere, and keeps moving up and down and occupies the tail of the queue after a clean survey. After a couple of minutes some lady comes to see if any one can help her buy the ticket. Our man proclaims ‘do not sympathise with any one. I remember how Shri. Rajiv Gandhi was wiped out in a bomb blast’. People turn curious and ask for his narration of some key points on the incident. He repeats what we have known from newspapers. 

Someone asks “Sir, how did you manage to survive in the blast?” Our man says ‘I have to thank my stars for that blessed call of nature, which took me off the place barely 3 minutes before the catastrophe. From then on I am very alert of new comers.’ How do you spot a new comer?- asks a neighbour. Our man triumphantly declares “it is very easy if you know face reading. I can tell what sort of a man you are”. The neighbour feels unmanageably embarrassed, because he is guilty of some minor vices. Thereafter, the neighbour drops into silence, seriously praying God for the counter to open before any encounter opens.. Now, our man tries to probe the neighbour, for which all replies come in monosyllables. On getting his tickets, the neighbour vanishes putting lightning to shame.

The disturbing brand:

We encounter another category of “the knowledgeable”. These people take delight playing on the nerves of others. They are the most despicable category for the damage they inflict to the morale of people. Often they are well dressed and look convincing.

Such “characters” can be met in hospital corridors when we happen to wait for the doctor to arrive or for our turn. Sitting next to a patient, they would ask for the kind of ailment that [s]he suffers from. Most patients do not know the ailment, except to name the part of the body where the problem occurs. Our “character” would ask “Did you check for hyperacidity? One can not rule out peptic ulcer. From what you say, it could be Duodenal ulcer as well. What antacids you have been taking?

 The patient is baffled by the sheer terms of reference. Instead, he visualizes the character to be a medical professional and asks “Are you a doctor?” For a change, the character stands the interrogation. His reply is a question-“Do I just look a doctor? I am a Dean”. The patient had learnt somewhere that the Dean is the highest position in the hierarchy of Medical units. He stands up in utter reverence. Without giving any useful reply, the Dean moves over to a new entrant and pronounces a judgement that the person appears to have respiratory disorder. The new man, unable to comprehend the technical jargon trembles in fear and asks what sir, it is reshfirachury ---? Our Dean tells it is a breathing problem. The new man replies, “No sir I have a cough”.  The dean suggests, ‘it seems more complicated than what you think’. Now, the first man tells the second that the advisor is a Dean. Together they develop the idea of getting treated by the Dean. At that suggestion, the Dean pathetically tells them that he is a Dean in some college and has nothing to do with treatment. Both of them denounce the man’s uncalled for intervention, as they have lost their priority for calling on the doctor. Sensing danger, the Dean runs off to safety.                     To continue                          Prof. K.Raman