CALCUTTA TO A STRANGER

The Bengali at work is an odd sight to behold… mainly due to the fact that he’s so not used to working… it’s like, umm what’s the term- fish out of water- or a hilish out of water to be more precise.

Now don’t get me wrong- these guys are brilliant people. Take the case of my office peon. The man is damned near genius. Just ask him to perform a simple task. The first thing he’ll do, even before he hears you out- shake his head sorrowfully and say ‘hobe naa’ and then the man comes up with such brilliant excuses for the ‘hobe naa’ it just takes your breath away.

You quite simply run out of words. It’s easier to get up and do the work yourself! And thus our man Amar has served his purpose of not doing an iota of work. I tell you, the chap’s in the wrong profession. We should just send him out on the field to collect some of our dues. He could successfully rob a man of his patience, and he’ll find it easier to pay up, rather than have a verbal confrontation with Amar.

The concept of urgency is quite alien to banglas. The average Bengali’s idea of a rush job is to finish an assigned task before three deadlines have passed. Two deadlines is a miracle, and completion before the first deadline is an insult to their intelligence. Not only is it offensive if he finishes it, but he takes it as a personal affront to him, if you dare to do the same. He shall then regard you right down there along with the bourgeois and the capitalists.

But all said and done, no one knows how to enjoy life like a true ‘bong’. Only a true Bengali enjoys the essence of life as hedonists see fit. Ordinary mortals lag far behind in such futuristic thought process, and it is left to the Begalis to lead us into the light.