Cheat

Cheat

I got sick and I was on my way back to my hostel room from the diagnostic centre with a positive for infection. As it is, the illustrious diagnostic centre, supposedly one of the best here in this place which is illustrious by its own accord for a variety of reasons, made me wait for almost an hour because the results have to come from “somewhere”. So me in my mightily pissed form waved for a cycle rickshaw guy and was in no mood to converse, that too with my mono or max bi syllabic Hindi. But as things usually are, the guy I happened to wave down happened to be in a chatty mood. The moment I got in he started. Both pedalling and talking.

Guy: you Kerala?

Me: no. (In no mood to talk)

Guy: Andhra?

Me: no. (Still in no mood to talk)

Guy: TN?

Me: yeah (slightly amused...)

(Apparently he had figured out that I am from south India. Well. Almost everybody makes that out. But he wanted to specifically place me in my state)

Guy: (pointing at himself) AP

(Apparently he had figured out that my Hindi is beyond his levels)

Me: hmmm... (Almost forgot that I was pissed)

Guy: Bahut garam..(He said wiping off his sweat)

Me: aan

(I realised this was going to be a monologue from him. And as it is, from years of experience and a little intuition, I guessed a catch is soon going to pop out from him)

Guy: 3 Kids. 2 lady. 1 Gents.

Guy: small kid. Jaundice.

Guy: No sleep 3 days. Worry. No money.

Guy: 3 kids. School. Food. Dress. Shoes. ( he reached down and showed me where shoes are worn.)

(he also turned and looked at me and gave a resigned look and waved his hand)

(some more of lines like this interspersed with questions like the following)

Guy: Which year? Which course? Going home after exams? Where?

(anyway it goes on for some time but with the periodic mention of jaundice)

(the end is approaching)

Guy: No smoke. No drinks. (pointing at himself)

( a few seconds later I get down. And I give him an 50Rs extra. )

Guy: Thank you sir (delightedly and it was somehow combined with gratitude that I am not able to place)

And as I was walking back I couldn’t help but think about it. I knew there was a high probability that he might be lying. I suppose all of us have faced such encounters. But what does one do? The first time he mentioned jaundice I knew he wants me to give him some money. And the whole time I was pretending to myself as though I am deliberating, because I knew I am going to give him something anyway.

Have happened many times.

Once I am arriving at the Delhi railway station after a gruelling and boring 2 day journey from Madras and as I am walking out a small school girl, probably 9^th or 10^th standard max, came running to me and pinned our national flag on my shirt. What does one do? Would one say no at the kid’s face?

So many examples like this. Security guards. Most of them I have encountered in my life are really really nice people. But it is a given that it is incumbent on our part to give some money.

What does one do?

Is the conversational affiliation shown only for monetary ends?

The question I am not able to answer is “So what if it is so?”

Besides they come across as really nice people.

Some of them even have the lucidness to frankly ask for money. Isn’t that in a way appreciatable?

May be some of them lie. May be some of them cheat.

The question I am not able to answer is “How do I know?”

What if that money we give ACTUALLY helps them in a genuine way? May be they are not drunkards as we assume. What if it is so?

The question I am not able to answer is “Does the paranoia weigh more than the remote possibility of genuineness”

How much do they expect anyway? 10?20? 50? Leaving everything apart, the morality of the action, the logic of pessimism and everything, is the magnitude of quantum involved here something that bothers us?

We get robbed and cheated almost every day.

Everytime we go to cafe coffee day.

Everytime we go to nalli silks.

Everytime we go to saravana bhavan.

Everytime we buy a Cineplex ticket.

Everytime we buy branded stuff.

Almost every time we do whatever we do in our lifestyle.

But we are never bothered by this fact even though we know it. Of course its self indulgence and we feel that we deserve it. And 10s and 20s and 50s are not even worthy of our consideration is it?

The irony is that we don’t think twice about paying more to people who would probably go and indulge themselves in ways even we don’t. But we think more than twice and end up deciding not to give to people who would probably go and eat a full set meals with that money. Or maybe they will booze.

So what?

Is our point of trouble the fact that these people go and drink locally brewed alcohol while those we paid at malls drink vodka? ( I want to write about boozing. I have so much to argue in that ;) Unfortunately might hurt people)

You know what I do? I indulge them. Primarily because I am not able to answer any of the questions.

Since anyway cheating is a way of life, either we cheat others or others cheat us or we cheat ourselves.

And in this case the best thing is that their momentary gratitude is really gratifying (Though technically it’s my dad who should be receiving it. Lets say it doesn’t matter within family)

Sometimes I wonder whether I am just this common someone who can’t say no. But I am quite capable of saying no. Have said it so many times. Anyway I am stuck in the case of issues where I can’t decide with certainty. Like Asimov’s robot that is given two conflicting orders of equal intensity. In such cases it’s pragmatic to employ the option of least discomfort.

So I indulge them.

Better than buying a silk saree for 10k from Nalli, coming out and bargaining with the guy selling safety pins.

In case you found that male chauvinistic,

Better than buying Lee jeans for 3k, coming out and bargaining with the lady selling handkerchiefs.