So I had to start early for a longer walk and one morning I met another early walker. I extended my hand for a shake which he took rather stiffly. A serious looking guy, I learnt that he was from Chennai. He was a doctor, a Ph.D. In Indian philosophy. His wife too was a Ph.D. In some subject. Both served in a university and now retired. Obviously a very scholarly family! When I told him from where I came, exclaimed with a curt oh! Disappointed, he looked at me, I think, very pityingly. Was it my imagination, I am not sure! Nevertheless, to improve my image in his eyes and also to boost my own self esteem, I boasted that one of my aunts had actually married a proper South Indian in days much before when Chennai was Madras. And my sister once lived for a few years there, I added. To which he responded by saying, 'that does not mean you belong there, do you?'
During my army days, I passed through another metro in the east many times, Kolkata when it was Calcutta, many times just to change my flight for Gauhati further east. During such one stop, after walking many miles, I boarded a tram car. I found an empty seat and sat down. And then to relax my tired legs, I stretched them in the vacant front area. After a minute or so, I heard some people talking agitatedly in Bengali which I did not understand. Then, a well meaning copassenger softly whispered in my ears that they were talking about me. 'He thinks he is sitting in his drawing room! No culture' or words to that effect. I had understood the last part and quickly pulled in my legs! Bengal has been the birthplace of Tagore and Bose if I am not mistaken and I have high regard for the people from Bengal. But it never passed my mind to settle there ever!
I had a couple of postings in Punjab and enjoyed our time there very much. The culture of khana, peena aur dance, balle balle was very tempting except the last part; I just can not dance even to save my life! So there was no question of my feeling of belonging to this area and it's remarkable people. I could never visualise myself settling there after retirement!
I had a stint in another city, this time in Gujarat, a state which gave us many great leaders. My dear daughter in law is originally from this state.I was posted at Baroda now Vadodara. One evening, my wife and I went out for a bit of shopping. Among other things, we wanted to buy a few hand towels. We entered a shop which prominently displayed the item. We were talking with each other in Hindi. And then we asked the shop keeper the cost of a better quality hand towels. To which he rather curtly answered,'you can not afford them'! To say that we were stunned will be an understatement. So much for the gujju people's much vaunted salesmanship. In retrospect, I thought I had upset the guy by talking in Hindi. Clearly, I did not 'belong'! Next time if I have to shop in Gujarat, I would prefer my gujju daughter in law to accompany me.
I retired from work while posted at Mumbai, erstwhile Bombay. Why we keep changed names of our cities is a riddle to me. Maybe to get back to our culture! The most well known city internationally, we really. enjoyed our stay there. Only sometimes, the constant harping of 'aamchi Mumbai' was jarring. And even though my dear wife comes from Maharashtra, it has not stopped some Marathi speaking people from treating me like an outsider. I did not simply belong! It is a different matter that I speak Marathi like a real native.
The bottom line of this story is that I do not have a sense of belonging to a particular place. I am like a rolling stone which has gathered no moss. I am a rootless wonder!
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