Why / Why Not

Cell phone was ringing. He took the cell and saw the number. It was from India and it’s his close friend. He disconnected the call and called him back from his cell.

Friend: Hi da. How are you?

He: ya. I’m ok.

Friend: What man? Just ok?. You’re in USA. Enjoy, its your turn. Don’t waste your chance.

He: What ‘enjoy’?  I’m all alone here; no one is there even to talk to. I’m sitting alone in office all day. In room also same. Room is more boring than office. Especially weekends are like hell. If I close the door on Friday evening, I’ll open on Monday morning only.

Friend: What will you do on weekends? Just movies huh?

He: What else then? Drinks, sleep and movies. That’s it. I’m drinking half bottle alone.

Friend:  We all miss you mostly having drinks. No one to take leadership in teasing others. Either they go to sleep immediately or vomit after drinking. Missing all the fun and you, very badly.

He: I want to come to India asap. I don’t want to stay here for long.

Friend:  Everybody says this in the initial days. Then they will get green card, then citizenship and gets settled there itself.

He: No no. I guarantee you I won’t do that. Whatever happens I’ll come back after sometime for sure. But you’re right. Most people wants to settle here after staying here for couple of years. Main thing is they don’t to see pay slips in thousands after they saw it in lakhs. And life here is easy and sophisticated. Everything is automatic. I’m feeling too jealous that these people live a much sophisticated life compared to our people. Standard of living is thousand times good here. Our angry on corruption and politicians grows much more after seeing how government maintains everything here. You should see the traffic here, everybody follows rules and every vehicle goes smoothly. It’s like pre-programmed video game, no one makes mistakes. You know, one day I was asking lift to cars outside my office as I was getting late for my doctor’s appointment. I didn’t know that hitchhiking is not normal here. For 5 minutes no one stopped, and then I found some cab number and called them and was waiting for them.  All these things happen in 5 minutes. A police car came and the cop asked me for some identification and informed that hitchhiking is not usually followed here. Someone had called 911 and police came in 5 minutes to check. In our place even if an accident happens, ambulance itself comes to take only the dead bodies. And you should see the internet speed dude. A movie gets downloaded in 20 mins. Internet connection in my room is faster than our India’s office Internet.

Friend: So everything is so good there. Why do you want to come back then?

He: Yeah everything is good here. But still this is not my place dude. I don’t belong here. I miss many things. My mom’s cooking; fighting with my sister; college friend’s get-together; chatting in colleague’s cubicle; those long chats during lunch and snacks times; getting newspaper outside the door and turning it to sports section; fan sound over my head while sleeping; tea shop in the street corner; and more and more. And I miss speaking in our regional language. One second, bear with me. Close your ears if you want.

Friend: what? Why?

He: !@#$%!#%(@%$&@%$@%$@%$&@%$@%$@^$*^$&@%^$@^............................................................................................                                                                                                                                                   (badwords in his regional language)

Friend:  oh oh…stop it. What happen? Why are suddenly scolding me?

He: Nothing. Those words are the ones I miss speaking most. So just spoke once.

Friend: Hahahahaa…………………

He: Really dude, in few days I might forgot my language. And people who have kids here, their kids don’t know their regional languages. They speak English and Spanish fluently. But they don’t know their regional language. Even if you speak in regional language they reply in English only. That’s one thing why I don’t want to settle here. I don’t want to speak to my kids in English, I’m having hard time speaking English to clients itself.

Friend:  Ok ok. Just earn some money and get back here soon. I have to drop off.

He: Ok then, see you later.

Friend:  I had good time pass listening to your blabbering.

He: Yeah I listened to you some days back, it’s your turn now. Bye.

Friend: Bye. Take care.

He disconnected the call and keep staring the phone for few seconds.

“Oh God!! I want to go back to India soon…………….”.

Few minutes later:

Cell phone was ringing. He took the cell and saw the number. It was from India and it’s his India’s office number. He attended and said ‘Hello’.

Otherside: Hello.  Are you busy? I want to discuss something Important.

When ‘Hello’ not followed by ‘How are you?’ itself, he realized it’s his Manager.

He: No. Tell me. I’m free only.

Manager:  You filled your attendance?

He: Hmmmmmmmmmmm……..no not yet.

Manager: Does every time someone needs to remind you? You’re getting mails right?

He: Yeah…I saw the mail. I’ll fill now.

Manager: Why didn’t you attend the meeting we had before one hour?

He: Meeting?????.......which one?

Manager: Which one? You’re checking your calendar or not? What will you do when you get a meeting request?

He: I’ll check it and hmm…….

Manager:  You don’t accept the request?

He: hmmmmmmmmmm………………not much

Manager: you should accept right? How others will know that you’ll attend or not?

He: Yeahhhhhhhhhh..i’ll accept hereafter

Manager: And join the meetings 5 mins before.

He: yeah sure

Manager: You’re experienced now. You should follow these professional ethics.

He: Yeah yeah sure sure I’ll

Manager: I hate to say this again and again.

He: I won’t repeat these mistakes. I’m sure

Manager: Ok. Be careful with clients, don’t let any escalation happen

He: Yeah..

Manager: Ok. Bye.

He: Bye

He disconnected the call and keep staring the phone for few minutes.

“Oh God!! I don’t want to go back to India ever again………..Never”.