Galling Neighbour, Calling

Yesterday I was studying for my exam. N all of a sudden mom calls me from downstairs, saying someone’s there to meet me. I couldn’t quite get the name. I thought she said ‘Monu’, which is my cousin’s pet name. I went downstairs only to be shocked to see that it was my neighbour ‘Sonu’. (Even his brother’s name is ‘Monu’... just FYI) You see, the old age tradition of having kids with rhyming names is pretty much prevalent today. I was shocked to see him, cos I haven’t been on talking terms with him since past few years. Very few people are lucky to get good, peaceful n friendly neighbours. N my family is not from the lucky lot for sure.

It so happens that he had just given 12th Board exams n he wanted some info regarding which colleges should he choose, which line should he get into, in which colleges does he stand a chance to secure an admission. (60% was what he scored, which is pretty less to get into a good engineering college) So well I did give him all the information I had about colleges, ways to secure admission and which line’s better. He had all his doubts cleared up, n then, while leaving, said, “If I have any more queries anytime, I‘ll come up over here.” Excuse me buddy!!! Isn’t that supposed to be 'MY' line? It’s shocking how people can make themselves comfortable enough and that too with such a past rapport. All that I had left with me, to say was “You’re always welcome.”

I had absolutely no problems in helping him clear his doubts. But had I been at his place, I’d never wanna take counseling from ‘Me’. Cos I haven’t talked to that person since the past 7 years, have always been in his bad books and now all of a sudden, when I got work, I’m all friendly once again. I can’t change my feelings like I change my clothes!! N I'm pretty sure once he's got into some college, I shall hear no more of him.

N it’s not just a few of such persons, I’m sure there’ll be many around us all. The people who wouldn’t like any child playing in the vicinity of 50 meter radius of their house, but their child can break anyone’s window panes, n he’s just a child, mistakes happen. The ones who would go out n stop every child’s play, just cos their kid’s got exams, n wen it’s the other way round, there’s no stopping their kids… they can play music at full volume, scream, shriek, confiscate other kids’ balls whenever it lands in their house, bring in the entire retinue in their family tree to a society function (well, so what they don't live in the society ??? They are a part of their family after all !!), utilize, or rather store anything n everything that’s free. Well, unlimited food means pass it to your kitchen from the society’s common plot; since u got your house rite behind the plot, utilize its location, n store it in huge vessels, n hey!!! food doesn’t become inedible until three days or more… What’s a fridge for after all??

I can’t help but have a pity laugh on such people. They actually think they’re very smart n get their work done whenever they need to. But outside; they‘re nothing else but a bunch of laughing stocks. Everyone in our society knows them & thinks they’re really irrational enough to consider themselves as highly wise. It’s the patience n tolerance of all these good families that such people are still under that misconception. Had they been living amongst a group of equals, they’d have realized their worth soon enough. I, for one, many a times think there’s nothing we can do about such people, but at the same time, you wanna do something to get them onto the track.

It’s said; to make sure a person understand what you wanna say, try talking to him in his language or his terminology. Let’s hope, they don’t cross the limits in their regular doings. Or who knows, maybe someone from us might take a crash course in their behavorial - terminology n give them a dose of their own medicine.