Continuing my serial encounters with regional heavyweights.
I met a hatta-katta Punjabi the other day. I asked him where
he was going.
“Kanaada,” was the reply.
“Why do you guys like Canada so much?” was my innocent
question.
“Bekaas Trronto is a great place, yaar” he said.
“But why?” I persisted.
“It’s a ‘player’ to stay there. Good climate, nice people,
clean surroundings. Not like Delhi.”
“But if everyone goes to Canada, won’t it become like Delhi?”
I was inquisitive, and persistent.
“Oye, main parathe wali dukaan thode hi kholoonga udhar (do
you think I’ll open a paratha shop there?)”
“Nahin, nahin, paaji, my matlab was not like that,” I apologized.
“I just wanted to know ki why you all don’t want to live in our country.”
“Simpal, yaar. We are still thinking like the British.
Commonwealth country with only a few wealthy people. We have mobiles, but
nothing to eat. Aston Martin is used to reduce the population, only.
Election=inflation is a mathematical reality. We are losing our ‘chracter’ and the aam aadmi (common man) can’t afford an aam (mango).”
I said, “Paaji, you are right. But we have some national
treasures like the three Khans, The Big Boss among them, and Kapil Sharma. How
can you compare Canada with us?”
He said, “Trronto chal tujhe dikhaata hoon” (Come to Toronto, I’ll show you). On that
note, we parted amicably.
