Let’s shun stereotypes
Faizan Bashir
“Ya su gaamuk ma wichayothan; yim ha cheshaitaan aasaan; tim ponssi ditnaya atiwapas yim wozum as’saith ditmit.” (Hey, did you see that rural guy; they are deceptive; have you received the amount which you had lent to him) were the words used by one of my boon-companions.
I felt it be a vituperative statement that was totally unethical. I rebuked him for being so indignant towards another community and enquired: “Dear, what prompted you to throw brickbats at him?” The injudicious reply that he gave was, “emaw chi shaitanastaarmich; yi asi cholmut!” (they have plotted even Lucifer; he must be absconding!)…
On enquiring from him of the reason behind comparing a man with Satan, he seemed to be beating around the bush— couldn’t defend his own statement! And in the meanwhile, another man (not known) popped up in front of us with tearful eyes and said, “What have we done? What you see inferiority in us— or just to prove your superiority you stoop to such levels that comparing a human to Satan seems a norm these days!”
I left the place perturbed.
After a couple of days, another friend of mine, who seems to be in dire need, phoned me and asked if I could lend him some ‘three thousand rupees’— because of the fact that I had no money available at that moment; I replied to him, with utter dismay, that I have no money to be lent out. I would see if I could arrange the said amount, and let you know accordingly.
Subsequently, I pocketed out my mobile phone and dialed the number of my ‘Gamuk!’ friend (To whom I had lent some amount of money). However the dialed number was switched off.
Various disgusting thoughts sprouted in my mind of him, and I—’being against this unjust calling someone by names’—even began suspecting him! And, talks of my friends returned to my mind: what if he has absconded? What—amount is huge, I had lent him as I trusted him — has he shown his true colours?
The thoughts provoked me, and I left for his home to beat the crap out of him! As I was walking his way, ‘I see some lime dust splashed on the edge of the roads and a line of vehicles near his home’ It appeared someone has died in the locality?
Later what I came to hear broke my heart and gave me Goosebumps. “My nephew died some four days ago” replied his maternal uncle when I asked of his whereabouts…..
My voice chocked— you were wrong! You were wrong! You were against calling people by names, yet I doubted and made a baseless inference without seeking an iota of evidence – without knowing anything thing, on someone to be the fraud, who actually has shuffled off this mortal coil (appeared dead to me later)! Is it not an act of wickedness too? And, I left the place, questions unanswered!
(The writer is a student and can be reached at [email protected])
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