Friday, June 29, 2012

Choice!?

"He would regret it for the rest of his life. It will prick him through his life. I gave him full freedom you know, I don't want to force, this was his choice. He left....."

I heard these statements being made by a woman outside a supermarket. She was talking on the phone. I felt sad looking at her. She was educated, well dressed and came from a middle class family like most of us. Her voice quivering; pleading conversation. For a moment I imagined lot of things. Was her husband treating her bad? Was her son giving her trouble? What was the sad situation she was in that she didnt seem to care her surrounding.

I picked the basket and walked into the supermarket; got my stuffs and forgot all about her until after 10 mins. She was still on the phone talking standing out. This time I heard "He definitely wants to do engineering. That is his choice. He doesn't care about my choice and my wishes......"

I just rolled my eyes and felt stupid about feeling bad for her few minutes ago.

44 comments:

  1. Even i was feeling sad for her but now that i know the truth, its funny in a way.. Indian Moms can really black mail their kids lol

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    1. Akum,

      :) It was stupid in a way hearing that from an educated lady

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  2. Lol! I thought something interesting might follow. ;)

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  3. You know Insi,I laughed really loud on this.Way back during graduation days,me and best friend S had the most sillier of jocks at college.We didn't share about this fun to anybody.Our intentional walks around the big campus.Haha,just observing the groups coming against us.. Listening to the few sentences when they pass by..Then we will start our wild imaginations on what they must be conversing..haha..Ever since I am a communication savvy.
    Cheers !

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    1. :-P Yeah i have done it too but within myself. Hear part of the conversation and build a story around it with my imagination. But this one came in my way; she was still speaking when i walked out and heard the thing that really knocked me off!

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  4. That was good, B! :-D

    In that single visual, you have drawn the caricature of the INDIAN MOM! ( I'd specifically call in KERALA MOM!)

    Had a good laugh!

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    1. :) Glad you liked the post. What I described here exactly what happened; the next moment I felt sad for her son

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  5. Well, its attitude

    it has nothing to do with, class, education or other things...

    but yeah, I must say I was not thinking the way it turned out...

    May be now a days I too occupied in mind with my own baggage to think straight.. :)

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    1. I know! I didnt expect it too hearing her the first time

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  6. Only one lesson -- avoid eaves dropping ;).

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    1. Rachna,

      I take umbrage. Does this seem like eaves dropping to you? I didnt overhear what she was talking. She was yelling over the phone at the entrance of a super market. I cannot think of any other way but to carry ear plugs to avoid hearing in such scenarios

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  7. B, that was a discerning observation.
    A stereotyped typical Indian mother. Pathetic and pity her child!!!!!!

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    1. Thanks Anil. I couldnt help it :)
      Yeah sad for her son

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  8. Good one...This happens very often:))we keep imagining wild things ...even if for a few seconds..

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  9. I remember the days when you used to rely on anticlimax for your fiction plots! :D This was real life fortunately. Unlike some of the readers, I didn't find the situation funny. I got very angry at the authority with which the said mother felt that she had a 'right' to decide her son's course of career, where in *he* would be the one studying, facing all the pressures, working at the office, bringing work back home, and earning. I find it absolutely unacceptable when parents try to impose their choices in matters of vocation and life partner. I agree sometime choices of their children could be prima facie, unwise, but most parents would not be interested even in knowing the reasons behind their children's choices. It becomes and emotive 'ego issue' for them ["my child was nothing/zyogte (hehe! :D ), and we have enlarged him/her so much through our nurture (paal-pos kar itna bada kar diya hai :P ), and yet he/she has no respects for us, and is disregarding us in his/her choices? Do we not mean anything to him?"]. This sense of entitlement to make choices only to exert one's authority over the child is very irritating!

    I think this situation is perfect for some Satyamev Jayate episode! :P

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    1. Trust me, I got reminded of you when I was writing this post.
      I was wondering how you would react if you knew this incident was for real and it ended in anti-climax. Since you dont visit my blog frequently as you used to (thats what I assume) I dismissed the thought. Lo! here you are.

      True, I found it assuming since only minutes before I was feeling sad for her. Next, I am laughing at her silliness. The fact that she forgot where she was and pouring out her emotions told me how serious an issue it was for her about her son choosing his choice of degree. Isnt that stupid?

      And the "paal-pos kar itna bada kar diya hai" I have heard enough lotta time in my language as well. Thats the universal emo-game it seems :P

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  10. Oh! I also felt sad hearing the first part... Just another indian mom trying to force her way into child's life.

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    1. :) yeah i was feeling sad too until I came to know why she was sad

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  11. I guess people have their reasons. The lady. Her son. you. Me. And everyone else ! :)

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  12. happens to a lot of us , I was to be a engineer tooo ...

    Bikram's

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    1. Bik,

      :) Hahaha why dont you start now?

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    2. why do you want people life in danger , the bridge i build wont last a day I know that :) he he he

      I am happy what I do and enjoying it

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    3. Oh engineers not only make things, they break it as well :P

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  13. Great post! Lots have been said in those few lines.
    Yes, agree fully with you. I too do not like parents who try to realize their dreams through their children not bothering to know what the children like or want. Of course a mother can not let her child go astray. But when it comes to deciding on a career, the child's opinion can not be over looked.

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    1. Thank you. I was amused at myself and hence put it here.

      I think its the thing with Indian parents..and some south-ease asian parents too

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  14. haha! the dangers of evesdropping ;)

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    1. If you can arrange for ear plugs in such situations I would appreciate it!

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  15. How can you take away a mother's concern about her children?

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  16. Ketan is way too influenced by Satyamev Jayate!

    Parents have this attitude, I agree. At times they are sensible too as they know their children's capacity, but imposing their ideas on children is going a bit too far. Thankfully my parents never forced their choices and preferences on me, but I was brought up in the commerce background. Thus I knew what I wanted to pursue commerce. But I didn't know anything about anything else. Now when I think about it, I would have rather gone for Journalism! Sigh.

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    1. :-) I have seen parents who are open to their kid's decisions and parents who are control freaks. Sad about the latter ones

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  17. I was imagining many other versions of sadness till I read the last few lines !! Indian parents I say!! They fall into a tensed situation and they make strangers to fall in line with them :0

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