Daadu : Get me a glass of water for my medicines.
Me : How would you like it....
Hot /cold or warm water ?
In a tall or short glass ?
Steel glass or real glass ?
Daadu chuckled and said: Get me half glass of warm water for
my medicines. I am very particular about my medicines.
Daadi to Daadu : Tomorrow is my sister Kamlesh’s 75th birthday. She has invited us for lunch at the club house.
Daadu reacted : But tomorrow is Tuesday!
Daadi : So ?
Daadu : I don’t consume liquor or non-veg on Tuesdays. I am very particular about it.
Daadi : But vegetarian dishes will be available.
Daadu : No point attending the party if I cannot have liquor and chicken. Why can’t she have the party on Wednesday?
Daadi : It's her birthday and this year her birthday falls on Tuesday.
Daadu : Let me talk to her.
Bring me the phone.
Bring me my reading glasses.
Now, give me your sister’s phone number.
With phone, reading glasses and Kamlesh’s phone number in hand, Daadu was all set to make his phone call to his sister-in-law.
Trring Trring ....
Kamlesh : Hello....?
In 22 years of knowing Daadu, I had never heard him divulge his name or identity over the phone. He expected the person to recognise his voice instantly, (even if he were calling a faint acquaintance after a gap of 16 years.)
“Hello” was substituted by authoritative questioning “Pehchana (recognise me)?”
And amazingly..... he was always recognised without introduction!
The most peculiar thing about Daadu’s telephonic conversations was that it never exceeded beyond 15 seconds.
Conversations were brief and one sided.
He never wasted time in saying “Hi” or “Bye”.
He said what he wanted and before one could open their mouth to reply,
the phone call was over and cut off from his side.
If he talked for 20 seconds then it was considered a long telephonic conversation.
Sometimes I tried to defeat Daadu at his game of suddenly hanging up amidst conversation. But he was far too quick to disconnect the phone and leave me mouth open.
He never waited to hear the reply.
I never won because....ladies are wired to over reply.
Daadu : Kamlesh, why don’t you celebrate your birthday on Saturday ?
Kamlesh : Saturday we are out of town.
Daadu : How about Wednesday ?
Kamlesh : Sorry Wednesday not possible as I have to go for a medical check up to the hospital.
Hello....
Hello ?
Time was up.
The call had ended from Daadu’s side.
No “Hi”, no “Bye”.
Greetings were a waste of time.
In Punjab “Hello” is designed to be used incessantly only when the network is unclear.
I wonder if his cell phone has the auto disconnect of 20 seconds.
-------------------------------------------
TUESDAY : On the day of the lunch party....
Daadi to Daadu : You can call for any veg dish that you wish.
Daadu : I will eat and drink as do the others, he said solemnly.
And so Daadu had liquor and non-vegetarian in full abandon, because,
"After long I had liquor and chicken on Tuesday,
otherwise.... I am very particular about it."
Me : How would you like it....
Hot /cold or warm water ?
In a tall or short glass ?
Steel glass or real glass ?
Daadu chuckled and said: Get me half glass of warm water for
my medicines. I am very particular about my medicines.
Daadi to Daadu : Tomorrow is my sister Kamlesh’s 75th birthday. She has invited us for lunch at the club house.
Daadu reacted : But tomorrow is Tuesday!
Daadi : So ?
Daadu : I don’t consume liquor or non-veg on Tuesdays. I am very particular about it.
Daadi : But vegetarian dishes will be available.
Daadu : No point attending the party if I cannot have liquor and chicken. Why can’t she have the party on Wednesday?
Daadi : It's her birthday and this year her birthday falls on Tuesday.
Daadu : Let me talk to her.
Bring me the phone.
Bring me my reading glasses.
Now, give me your sister’s phone number.
With phone, reading glasses and Kamlesh’s phone number in hand, Daadu was all set to make his phone call to his sister-in-law.
Trring Trring ....
Kamlesh : Hello....?
In 22 years of knowing Daadu, I had never heard him divulge his name or identity over the phone. He expected the person to recognise his voice instantly, (even if he were calling a faint acquaintance after a gap of 16 years.)
“Hello” was substituted by authoritative questioning “Pehchana (recognise me)?”
And amazingly..... he was always recognised without introduction!
The most peculiar thing about Daadu’s telephonic conversations was that it never exceeded beyond 15 seconds.
Conversations were brief and one sided.
He never wasted time in saying “Hi” or “Bye”.
He said what he wanted and before one could open their mouth to reply,
the phone call was over and cut off from his side.
If he talked for 20 seconds then it was considered a long telephonic conversation.
Sometimes I tried to defeat Daadu at his game of suddenly hanging up amidst conversation. But he was far too quick to disconnect the phone and leave me mouth open.
He never waited to hear the reply.
I never won because....ladies are wired to over reply.
Daadu : Kamlesh, why don’t you celebrate your birthday on Saturday ?
Kamlesh : Saturday we are out of town.
Daadu : How about Wednesday ?
Kamlesh : Sorry Wednesday not possible as I have to go for a medical check up to the hospital.
Hello....
Hello ?
Time was up.
The call had ended from Daadu’s side.
No “Hi”, no “Bye”.
Greetings were a waste of time.
In Punjab “Hello” is designed to be used incessantly only when the network is unclear.
I wonder if his cell phone has the auto disconnect of 20 seconds.
-------------------------------------------
TUESDAY : On the day of the lunch party....
Daadi to Daadu : You can call for any veg dish that you wish.
Daadu : I will eat and drink as do the others, he said solemnly.
And so Daadu had liquor and non-vegetarian in full abandon, because,
"After long I had liquor and chicken on Tuesday,
otherwise.... I am very particular about it."
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