Hilarious interactions

Nothing is as funny as to see strongly opinionated people being deflated by the impersonal mechanics of the Universe that does not seem to respect opinions, no matter how sacred and hallowed they seem to be. Quite often you see an imperious man delivering an opinion only to be smashed to smithereens at that very instant. Quite a let down really! And it can be quite embarassing to the pompous pronouncer of opinions.

My father's friend's hobby is to collect the utterances of famous people. He has compiled them in a booklet just for private circulation among his friends. The second quote immediately following the very first quote in the book was:

"THE BALLOT IS MORE POWERFUL THAN THE BULLET" -
                                                                        ABRAHAM LINCOLN

And to think that poor Lincoln was shot! Could there be a better example than this irony of the Universe?

xxx



My father too has rather fixed ideas of how one should be, and has strong views on the right way of doing things. Even when I was thirty years old, and was adult enough to have my own views of things, he would imperiously expound on the 'right' way of doing it, if he found that I had a way different from his.

For instance, just because a shave after a hot bath would soften the stubble and render a smoother shave I, for a short span of a few months, was taking a shave after a bath. In his traditional approach, a shave is always taken before a bath. So when he found me doing this contrary to his set opinion, he didn't like it all.

So it happened one day that when my father's friend who is exactly of the same age as my father was visiting us and we were all seated in the living room and chatting up, my father seeking a strong approval from one of his wise peers and trying to teach the 'ways of the world' to his 30 year old immature son told his friend:

 "If every sane man takes a shave before a bath, this fellow takes a shave after a bath !"

"I too do the same thing", said my father's friend totally unexpectedly, quite innocent of what my father was expecting of him.

"Ibbaru Sarayagiddira", (both of you are similar specimens!) my father muttered in Kannada rather disappointed!

xxx

Another day a rather fiercely assertive friend of mine and I were watching a cricket match on the television which was being accompanied by a running commentary in English, when the following things happened:

I  (in Kannada) :   "Ah! Late cattu!"  (Ah! A Late cut!)

Friend            :     "Cheh! Adhu Late Cut Alla ! Late cut beray thara!
                             Adhu..."

                             ("Sheesh~! That's not a Late Cut! A Late Cut is
                                  played differently! It is...")

The commentator
on the television at
that very instant:      :    "... and he executes a fine late cut! and the ball..."

Friend sheepishly     :   "Oh! adhu late katta...?"