anjaan aadmi se dosti nakare

‘Do not befriend any unknown person’, the Delhi Metro dutifully announces. What is this? My parents taught me to talk to every one in the village. If I don’t, I’m rude. Everyone talks to everybody whether you know them personally or not, “How are you?” “What curry did you have this morning?” “Are you going to the paddy field today?” That culture is slowly vanishing in my village. It’s impossible to practice that culture in big towns or cities. Try it and I’m sure you’ll simply pass out! 

The point here is that the world is increasingly becoming impersonal. I’m not trying to give a long speech on the importance of personal relationships, the effect of the cyber world etc. but share an experience. A friend invited me to watch a movie at the Select City Walk, arguably the biggest and one of the most happening malls in Delhi. He did not tell me the name of the movie or who else is coming with us, he is like that. I reached early and waited for sometime, and then he came with some friends I don’t know. The security guards at the entrance did not allow me to enter as I was carrying a bag. That was understandable but the horror is that there is no place to keep my bag in the whole mall for a movie! I tried the help desk and shops where they keep bags at the entry, but they advised me to keep it in my car if I have one, or simply elsewhere. I came back without watching the movie. I also saw some foreigners leave. I felt sorry for my friend because he felt so bad for me. He said he couldn’t enjoy the movie. He had called me so he can introduce me to his friends and have dinner after the movie. 

I was angry with Capitalism, Terrorism, Market, greedy businessmen, Multinational Companies, whatever or whoever was responsible for denying having my bag. If I protest and decide not to go there anymore, that wouldn’t affect the movie business a bit. I only have to submit to the rules and remember not to carry a bag. There are anti-globalization lobbies, but it’s too late, we are here to live with it- globalization and all that it brings (as uncle CB said in one of his talks). Will someone please provide a place to keep our bags at Select City Walk?