Holy Fools

Lunch breaks are traumatizing. Staying aloof has its price to pay. Being friendly has a price on its head too. Shuttling between these two, no one's been able to tag a name to me.

Finally the dumbest guy of the lot put to words in his own clumsy way.

'You appear friendly. The more I try to determine that, the more friendly you appear. But somehow you really aren't', he said faintly puzzled because he felt what he said didn’t make too much sense.

I started. That was very profound little did he realize it.

So what I am today at lunch, is always the question. No one pays it as much importance as I do anyway.

Today at lunch I am generous. I don't hold it too much against every one of them that they are talking absolute crap. Why is it that fun should always be at someone else's expense, I usually want to yell while shaking everyone by the collar…

Every conversation has to have a scapegoat. There should be one blustering individual who is being thrown a fusillade of words against which he cannot retaliate. It gets to me many a time.

Well, today I was being asked a specific question.

"What do you think of capital punishment?"

Well, I didn't think too much about it. I ponder over it while chewing my food.

"Depends."

Now, that's one of the sanest answers I can give.

Smirks pass around. I know suddenly, today I get not to chose my role. I am given one.

"On what?"

"On what the accused is charged with...of..."

"That is irrelevant"

Smirks are no use when not shared. It was my turn to but I swallowed it and washed it down with some water.

The crowd is not having the fun they anticipated. Arenas and that aspect of entertainment, finally I understand.

"You have an accent", I hear the leader of the pack say. On why he is the leader its because he can turn an argument around. People give him the scepter for fear of being the eternal target. He rules. He reigns.

It hits me hard. I brace myself for a volley of Malayalee jokes.

Now that was new to everyone. Including me, though I wasn't allowed to be incredulous about it.

He explains, "She has an Indian accent."

I laugh out, aloud. I can’t help it.
He is Indian. Too.