Human Relations

I was travelling.

That is unusual, I accept.

I have boarded a train at Chennai.

The train came onto the platform at the time it was supposed leave! Then for an hour it was making all kinds of jerks and jolts but never moved.

I was hurrying towards my seat which was incidentally by the window.

The young man sitting there asked me whether I would like to sit by the window.

I said, that was the seat allotted to me and that I had no preferences. He generously gave me my seat. The third man also came. But without even thinking for a while he climbed up to the top berth and hit the sack, immaterial of the fact whether the train started or not.

Then this young man, who I gathered is a senior officer with one of the retail market chain, stretched himself because it was not time for making the middle berths available. He stretched with his feet towards me. He almost touched me with them. Then he snuggled a little.

I also gathered that he is with Human Relations department of the said chain.

It perhaps, why perhaps, in all reality means that looking after recruitments and postings etc. of manpower in the company.

I always wonder if that is the only human activity in the company, what all the other activity they take up is!

Procuring goods and selling goods is after all better human related activity according to me.

This expert in human relations wanted to have some good chat with me.

He said “Hi” I reciprocated though I am not of the generation for such a greeting.

Did he say a thing or two? I don’t recall, but all of a sudden eh asked “How was the Eid!”

I did not say a thing in answer.

I think the boy was shocked and asked my name.

I told.

He said, I almost asked how was the Eid. That does not shatter the earth.

Eid or Idd or Ramzan was like as usual.

This time I did not greet any friends and none brought me the Sheer Khurma though!

I told the boy that appearances could be deceptive.

There was a family of three sitting in the opposite side. A mother, her daughter and that daughter’s husband. They were talking some good Hindi with some typical Hyderabadi words like Nakko in between. This executive asked them about their place. The young man on the other side said beyond Charminar. Our great executive opened his eyes as if he cannot believe what he heard and asked all kinds of questions about the place. He added some uncharitable remarks about the place including the stench there. He said he went there during Ramzaan time and found the place utterly chaotic.

For the boy who was born and brought up there, the comments naturally came as shock!

I intervened and said “That is the real Hyderabad!”

I also said other parts that came up later could be there in nay city!

Enough with the human relations!

There is much more that I can tell about that evening but would like to reserve it.

I am not a typical old timer always complaining, “Children these days….”

I vibe with very old people as easily as I do with youngsters including school going ones.