Pun or Punch

"Pun or Punch" is a collection of few instances, which I have had in past few years, consisting of little satire and punches like TV serials: dedhan dedhan dedhan (the background music in surprising/ shocking situations) 

NARRATIVE 1

EMI

01st of August, 10 pm in the night: Tring...tring... 

My mobile phone rang and the call from my house help, probably asking for an off. Almost in a resting and sleeping state, I didn't pick up the call. Again after 2 minutes, tring...tring... 

So, I picked up the call.... 

"Didi mera pagar daal doge please, kal subah subah meri EMI kat jayegi automatically.. Please Gpay kr do." In a speechless state, I said, "Okay". I transferred the amount. A little thought here and there- may be she has bought a house or something or may be a loan. But, I ignored and went to sleep. 

Next morning, she came and said, "Didi, sorry itni raat mein phone kiya, wo meri EMI kat jaati". On enquiring about that EMI, she told it is of her mobile phone, washing machine and microwave."

A complete speechless me for a couple of seconds!!!

Didi, I have bought this phone for 32,000 on EMI.  I asked which one? She said, "Samsung.. Pehle Vivo tha, wo gum ho gya. Lene toh main One plus gyi thi, par shopkeeper ne ye de diya...Bachon ko game khelna rehta hai na isliye...15 months ki EMI hai, fir washing machine ki EMI hai, microwave ki EMI hai... Isliye aapko bola." 

I silently heard all this and told her, "Buying useful things is good but EMI par it will be more expensive, this 32k phone will be approximately 38 k for you, save money." (She needs money for her child's major health issue too, where she is not spending...)

"Kya didi, sach mein zyada ho jata hai... Is se acha toh main 15k aur dalti, i-phone aa jata..." 

PUN or PUNCH!!!

NARRATIVE 2 

Autorickshaw

When I shifted to a big metropolitan city, I was pretty afraid to travel in local transport. But going with the flow, I adapted to the living sooner than I thought. One auto-rickshaw wala, coincidentally, used to meet me quite often, outside the society. Talkative, but kind, he used to explain the scenario of whole city while driving to my destination in 7-8 minutes, for example- traffic issues, under-construction metro issues, rallies, politics etc. and I just listened and agreed with a 'hmmm' everytime. 

Eventually I started using my own vehicle and then suddenly, one day, when I again thought of using the public transport, I met that rickshaw-wala again. "Madam, baithiye... Pehchana nahi?? Aap pehle bhi kayi bar jate they." He continued, "Madam, main society ke bahut logon ko le k jata hun." And last week kitne Ganpati main hi le kar aaya-gaya. 

I felt good at it and simultaneously my gaze went on a little hanging on the left upper side of his Autorickshaw, which read an urdu verse, probably some religious quote of Muslims. 

Then who are those people who are burning cities and countries in the name of religion??? 

PUN or PUNCH!!!

NARRATIVE 3 

The Sad Man

"Why is He sad?"

Driving back from my daughter's school one day, we got stuck in huge traffic. 

A truck loaded with groceries was just ahead of our car. A middle- aged man with a straight face was sitting near the large bags of groceries inside the truck. 

* Note: 4-5 year olds are Question Banks!!!

My 4 year old asked, "Mamma, Why is that uncle sad? "

Me: See it's too hot! May be the uncle is tired. 

Daughter (not convinced): But why is he sad? 

Me: May be he wants to sleep!!!

Daughter: Hmmm...but why is he SAD? 

Me: May be he has to go long long way. So, he is thinking something. May be he is not sad.

Daughter: No, he is sad. But why is he sad?

Me (little irritatingly): May be he is angry at someone.

Daughter: But fir sad kyun hai ??? 

I saw my daughter's intriguing and sad face and told her, "He will be fine soon."

"Let's buy watermelon🍉!!!" A sweet and colourful fruit which she loves to draw and eat too!!! And that sweet smile was back for watermelon. 

A hard hitting thought came to my mind-

"Sadness, like happiness, is infectious too."

Do you all too, like me, want to know-

Why was He sad???

PUN or PUNCH!!!