Multitasking

I am in the middle of my vacations in India. I was little scared to reach home. Somehow, I was worried that this time my parents would definitely tie the knot. And then all their expectations of my returning back to India for good. I was preparing myself for a big drama during these vacations while I was reaching Delhi at a slow pace, perhaps deliberate slow pace, stopping by in Perth, Singapore and Bangalore! Quite an eventful journey. But, there was nothing big back home at Delhi. The very first day I made it clear that I’ll be going back to Aussie land after few weeks. Point immediately accepted. I was wondering where did all the parental love go! Not that I wanted the parental love to win, but sometimes you don’t want the fights to end so soon.

I reckon you can never say a definite no to parents for wedding bells but it’s best handled through procrastination. I didn’t have to learn it the hard way. Guess my experience with my parents was handy here. I am not under big pressure anymore. Everything went as per the plans. I am so happy. However, we are never satisfied with what we have. A week of drama and I suddenly find myself in a deep lull. There is nothing exciting left. Only limited tasks one does during holidays. I don’t like doing limited tasks. I am more of a multi tasker. In fact, most Indians are multi-taskers. Why do I say that? Ever looked at 10-armed Indian deity (what do you think they have all those extra limbs for?).

Indians are the ultimate multitaskers. Anywhere else in the world, people when they go to watch a movie will do just that: watch a movie. Not so Indian moviegoers, who want to get full paisa vasool. There they are, while the movie's going on they'll take the opportunity to call half-dozen of their closest pals on their cellphone, discuss dinner arrangements with Auntyji in the next seat (Mattar-paneer, or gobi-aloo?), and get Tinku to share his popcorns with Tinky and hold hands of their Priyatama during romantic songs. And all that's in an ordinary, common movie ticket. Think of how much more multitasking Indian moviegoers can do in Gold Class, with all that extra space.

It's not just at the movies that Indians show themselves to be master multitaskers. Watch the Indian driver on the road. There he is, slanted at an angle from the steering wheel, which he negotiates with his left elbow, right elbow sticking out of the window, cellphone jammed between shoulder and ear; cigarette in one hand, gutka packet in the other; left foot tapping up and down to a bhangra rap version of the Gayatri Mantra on music player; while he checks out the girl behind the wheels of the other Maruti, and tells his male companion in the passenger seat, Arre, yaar, isko dekh!

At home, the Indian is no less of a multitasker. There she is, spread on the sofa in the living room, TV blaring a saas-bahu soap, playing Antakshri with Pinky and Pinku, even as she supervises their maths homework which they are doing between Antakshri turns, yelling out to the maid in the kitchen not to put too much tarka in the daal, it gives Nani-ma acidity, while she exchanges the latest piece of gossip over mobile with the occupant of the adjoining flat spread on her sofa in her living room.

We are creating uproar for all those racist attacks on the Indians who are driving taxis and working in seven elevens in Australia. Give them a multitasking job. And then watch the difference!