True lies

I am always at a loss to understand what makes people think i am from the hindi speaking part of India. In office very rarely do people associate me with TN. They mix me up for a Kannadiga or at times Marathi even though i know zilch about both languages, but never a tamil. Not that i am prejudiced against those places or people from there. Pongaluku vellai adikara mathiri vellai paint adichikita kooda at best i qualify as  'Maa neram' and i speak with so much accent that my tanglish is better than my english. Epdi paathalum, the relation logic stumps me!!

Last week it so happened that, i met this admin person. Now admins, like in most offices, are like doctors who are visited only in times of need. And like most patients who visit the clinics, no one has any patience with them or for their work. And being year end, everyone were queuing up to get their documents xeroxed or scanned and it was a really long queue. Like the prime example for Murphy's law, when i was the third in line to reach the copier machine, he closed for lunch. It wasnt a surprise, for i knew something like this would happen and was prepared for it. I was about to turn back, when he saw me standing in the crowd and waved me in while others were moving away.

He took my documents and asked "Tho...bolo...kaisa hai thu..kaam kaisa chal raha hai"

I was like 'Not again!!'. It was that moment, when the forever dim bulb on top of my head burned bright. 'Why not' it said. I replied back in my totally broken, Zee TV inspired, hindi that aaalzz well.

"Tumhaara Bhai kaisa hai"

He started asking about my brother and inquired if he had recovered from the accident. I was still having a dozen more docs to be copied and wanted to continue the story. So to put a positive spin to it i said he had recovered well and is hale and healthy.

"Woh kab waapis office join kar raha hai?"

Now that was a tricky question. I wasnt sure what to answer. If i said my brother had started coming to office, what if he asks me about his cabin or phone number.

"No. He had quit the job. He has joined elsewhere"

"Ohh...Just now i saw him taking copies of some documents. When is his last day here?"

I was stumped again.

But the bulb over my head, unlike TNEB, didnt gave up on me.

I said today was his last working day with the prayer that he shouldnt come back any time soon and slipped away from that place thanking the admin person for his help and a silent thanks to whoever he mistook me for. For once, the mix up helped me.

Moral of the story - Channel mathara saakulayaachum other language programs paathu konjamaachum antha baashailaam kathukanum. Epo use aagumnu you can't even guess.