<p>How does one react to a query, a situation or a reply for which one is least prepared? That depends on a person’s innate intelligence or presence of mind or basic instincts. I present here a few instances. You can draw your own conclusions.</p>.<p>Two students were arguing over the correct pronunciation of the word ‘either’. One said that it is pronounced as ‘eedar’ whereas the other was of the opinion that it is spoken as ‘Aaeedar’. Unable to come to an agreement, they approach their English teacher, who is not sure either. He says, after a pause, “Well, you can pronounce it ‘Aidar’ way.”</p>.<p>An idiom goes that clothes make the man; not for me. I have never adhered to this, which the Bard of Avon has paraphrased as “apparel oft proclaims the man”. The habit of not dressing appropriately, once landed me in a not-so-funny situation. After retirement at 58 from government service, I was keen to serve in the private sector. I appeared before an interview board in Hyderabad dressed casually, in clothes quite loose to boot. Before even preliminaries were over, one of the members of the board asked, “Why have you come in such an apparel?” I was not prepared for this. I replied, “Sir, I feel comfortable in them.”</p>.<p>“In that case you should’ve come in a bermuda,” said chairman of the board. Needless to say, it left me sulking for the rest of the interview. And I had all but lost hopes of landing the job. Anyhow, to my surprise, I was recommended for the job. </p>.<p>Sometimes, answers, often innocent, to questions are equally unexpected. In the touching story, <span class="italic">Eidgaah </span>by Munshi Prem Chand, such an unexpected reply transports one to a different realm. In brief, it is a story of a small, poverty-stricken family of an elderly lady, Ameena, and her orphaned five year old grandson Hamid. Hamid goes to celebrate the Eid fair with his friends with 3 paisas in his pocket given by his grandma.</p>.<p>There he resists the temptation of buying toys or sweetmeats and purchases a pair of tongs after some haggling. When he comes back, his grandmother is annoyed to see it in his hand.</p>.<p>Asks she, “Why have you bought this piece of Iron?” The little boy says, “It will save your hand and fingers from singeing when you prepare chapattis on the <span class="italic">Chulha</span>.” The old lady is so overcome with deep feelings of rare love by his reply that she starts shedding tears and showering blessings on him.</p>
<p>How does one react to a query, a situation or a reply for which one is least prepared? That depends on a person’s innate intelligence or presence of mind or basic instincts. I present here a few instances. You can draw your own conclusions.</p>.<p>Two students were arguing over the correct pronunciation of the word ‘either’. One said that it is pronounced as ‘eedar’ whereas the other was of the opinion that it is spoken as ‘Aaeedar’. Unable to come to an agreement, they approach their English teacher, who is not sure either. He says, after a pause, “Well, you can pronounce it ‘Aidar’ way.”</p>.<p>An idiom goes that clothes make the man; not for me. I have never adhered to this, which the Bard of Avon has paraphrased as “apparel oft proclaims the man”. The habit of not dressing appropriately, once landed me in a not-so-funny situation. After retirement at 58 from government service, I was keen to serve in the private sector. I appeared before an interview board in Hyderabad dressed casually, in clothes quite loose to boot. Before even preliminaries were over, one of the members of the board asked, “Why have you come in such an apparel?” I was not prepared for this. I replied, “Sir, I feel comfortable in them.”</p>.<p>“In that case you should’ve come in a bermuda,” said chairman of the board. Needless to say, it left me sulking for the rest of the interview. And I had all but lost hopes of landing the job. Anyhow, to my surprise, I was recommended for the job. </p>.<p>Sometimes, answers, often innocent, to questions are equally unexpected. In the touching story, <span class="italic">Eidgaah </span>by Munshi Prem Chand, such an unexpected reply transports one to a different realm. In brief, it is a story of a small, poverty-stricken family of an elderly lady, Ameena, and her orphaned five year old grandson Hamid. Hamid goes to celebrate the Eid fair with his friends with 3 paisas in his pocket given by his grandma.</p>.<p>There he resists the temptation of buying toys or sweetmeats and purchases a pair of tongs after some haggling. When he comes back, his grandmother is annoyed to see it in his hand.</p>.<p>Asks she, “Why have you bought this piece of Iron?” The little boy says, “It will save your hand and fingers from singeing when you prepare chapattis on the <span class="italic">Chulha</span>.” The old lady is so overcome with deep feelings of rare love by his reply that she starts shedding tears and showering blessings on him.</p>