Every parent (I`m guessing) is charged with the duty from God (again, guessing) to warn their child/children not to speak with children. The first reason is kidnapping. As we group up the reasons get worse. So, to avoid hearing or picturing bad things happen to you, we accept the truth. Right?
I took these kinds of warnings super seriously. I joined Facebook, but wouldn’t accept requests from anybody unknown. I wanted to make new friends, but it still feels like every stranger has a dark shadow clinging on to them.
Yet, I manage to appear like a b*tch to many, and approachable to the remaining few.
Few instances when I spoke to strangers and how it went, I am not going to give any advice about this, so take your own lesson :
#1 “Sorry, do I know you?”
Walking down the streets on Kormanagal, alone, after I had just watched Ready or Not- good movie, kind of predictable, thank the writers for zero cliffhangers- and I was confused between popping into Burger King or downing a beer. I mentally measured my sanity of drinking alone – not so good. So, I decided to go to Burger King.
A guy jumped in front of me and said, “Hi! I`m P”
I was taken aback. My first thought was I totally don’t remember his name and maybe he knows me? I said, “hi. Sorry, but I do not remember you.”
He said, “I’m new to Bangalore. Would you like to hang out.”
In the stranger-danger handbook, parents also mention looking for accomplices or simply over your shoulder. I’m not sure if I’ve read a lot of fiction to mess my brain and make me think faster because the moment he said that I looked over my shoulder trying to spot the kindaper’s van ( a van with sliding doors) or someone suspicious on a bike, but there was no one.
It was day time so I wasn’t too worried about anything serious happening. I was wearing shoes, so I could run. But I told him, “Sorry, but no” and started walking. Burger King was in sight.
He said, “It’s okay.” Yet, he fell in step beside me and asked, “what do you do?”
I really wanted to be polite, truthfully, it comes naturally because I sometimes think of approaching random people to give them a compliment or just ask if they’d like to be friends, you know? Boy, do such situations prove how others might think of me as stranger-danger.
He asked my name, I gave a fake. I am not a good liar and it is so evident that I try my best not even get in such situations. It’s so easy for me to trip into a guilty conscience, you would be surprised if you knew me well.
#2 “Um.don’t you have a wife?”
I commute to the office by cab every day for the past 5 or so months. Yesterday I had a rather weird experience. Usually, he drives speak very little English and Hindi, so I don’t make an effort to talk as I’m fluent in this one language.
But yesterday, I was the only one in the cab, when there are four or sometimes six employees. The driver asked me where was my drop location and I told him. This was the start of a roller coaster conversation for one hour. During our conversation, he almost banged a bling guy and took the longer route.
He began by telling how he left a secure, well-reputed position to become a driver and how happy he was. I admired that because very few people pursue their dream and even fewer who believe in them. He told me how much he earns, even though it is against company policy to share. When he asked me the same, I said so.
He continued to tell me about his girlfriend whom he married last year. Apparently, she didn’t like telling people about his profession. The conversation got weird when he said he hung out with his friends and they partied on weekends.
He said, “a girl approached our group and started dancing with me specifically.”
I said, “Um..don’t you have a wife? Do you want a divorce?”
He said, “Come on I am a practical guy. I like parties and being around girls. My wife knows that. Just because you hang out with boys, does it mean you are bad?”
I said nothing. My responses hereon were “hmm..”, “yeah..”, “take a left”, “right from here, please.”
I just found it weird because he justified so many decisions on the basis of him being a practical guy.
#3 “Where do you live?”
My sister and I decided to have Maggi (the noodle obsession of teens in India) one evening. We usually have something to eat and drink at a small bakery close to where we survive.
It started pouring and there was no choice but to wait, even after we had finished eating. There were two young men sitting on my right. An old man came to the bakery and took shelter. I asked the boys to pass a vacant stool and gave it to the old man. He thanked me and sat down.
My sister and I were immediately concerned about his safety going home. He was old and alone. My sister initiated the conversation by asking how he would get home?
She said, “where do you live? Should we book a ride home for you?”
He said,” No, don’t worry. I’ll walk. Thank you.”
This kick-started a ten-minute conversation. He told us how he moved from Kolkata to Bangalore. How he watched building rise as his hair turned grey. It was like talking to a grand-dad and hearing some old stories.
We are so glued to our phones and headphones, it’s tough to even start a conversation face to face. But how safe and trustworthy is the other person? Isn’t the safer, sadder option to put on your music and lay back?
Xoxo
#WordCrushed 
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