Let me tell you something sexy about living in the US. In most places that you go to, be it a grocery store, an eatery or a sports store, you will always find pretty girls at the counters asking you the three beautiful words – “How are you?” Their clean white teeth and the shortness of their shorts make you feel ecstatic about coming to the store. It’s not just the stores - you make eye contact with someone on the street, you get a friendly nod. You get into a bus and the driver immediately says “Howdy!” I thought these were refreshing experiences when I arrived here first, but lately, I seemed to have noticed the head fake in some of them. The funny thing is that pretty girls make you forget the sorrow of paying the bill. Shelling cash is no longer a pain. You don’t think twice about the extra stuff you bought, instead, you become convinced that you made the right choice.
I think about what I faced in India in similar situations like these. You get into a bus only after a lot of pushing and shoving. If somebody is able to find a seat, he could as well become a wrestling champion! In villages, there is this ingenious practice of throwing a kerchief into the seat and claiming it for their bottom! In spite of all this, there are things that rather seem out of place. In all the pushing and shoving inside a bus, one finds a witty conductor who could become a standup comedian if he wishes to. There are wannabe race drivers who ended up as bus drivers, and I can’t tell you how much fun it is to travel with one of them! Strangers may not wish you a good day, but they will certainly guide you when you are lost. Marwadi stores may not employ pretty girls, but they trust you enough to loan you their goods.
These things confuse me. The engineer in me tries to weigh both sides on a scale, but the balance never stops bouncing back and forth. After some effort, I go to sleep, hoping that the night would weave an answer out of my worries. When morning finally arrives, I go and stand in front of the mirror, and ask the same question that has been put to me tens of times – “How are you?” I look deep and wait for the mirror to throw an answer at me, but all I get in return…………is a blank stare.
