Strangers

[Background Narration]

“I am sitting at an outdoor cafe smoking a cigarette, drinking some coffee and writing a journal. A big statue is staring at me with big expressive eyes at the junction of roads just in front of the cafe. One South Indian man is standing underneath and admiring the statue, as he lights up a cigarette. The next minute, a Punjabi Sardar approaches him asking for a lighter in sign language. Both of them start smoking appreciating the statue.”

Punjabi: Looking upwards towards the statue says, “Bahut sudar akkha!” (Very beautiful eyes!)

Tamil: Looks at the Punjabi and exclaims nodding his head forward, “Am... Idu nalladu!” (Yeah... it’s good!)

Punjabi: Looks at the Tamil man with a small pause and says “Ki tussi kise di itazaar kar rahe ho?” (Are you waiting for someone?)

Tamil: Nodding his head sideways, “Yarum illai...” (No one...)

Punjabi: Says with a disarming smile showing the cigarette, “Lighter lai dhanavada... Thanks”

[Narration continues]

“The Tamil man smiles at him and tells him something in Tamil. And surprisingly the Punjabi replies in his own language Punjabi. Like this they go on speaking with each other for the next five minutes not understanding a single word of the other person but still somehow carrying on the conversation until they both finish their cigarettes and eventually part their ways. With the coffee gone cold in my hand, I am left quite flabbergasted by the whole drama in front of my eyes. And I realize that language after all is not merely made up of words. We humans could communicate even without it, only if we try.”

 

#THELANGUAGEPROJECT

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