I had two minutes left for my interview to start and I couldn’t ad the room. Lost, I st opped whoever I could in the confusing corridors of St. Stephens College to ask for directions. Most students ignored me. Many sniggered. I wondered why. Well, now I know. My accent. Back in 2004, my English was Bihari. I don’t want to talk now like I did back then. It’s embarrassing. It wasn’t English. It was 90 per cent Bihari Hindi mixed with 10 per cent really bad English. For instance, this is what I had actually said: 'Cumty room...bat!aieyega zara? Hamara interview hai na wahan... Mera khel ka kota hai. Kis taraf hai?’ If I start speaking the way I did in those days, you’ll get a headache. So I’m going to say everything in English, just imagine my words in Bhojpuri-laced Hindi, with the worst possible English thrown in. ‘Where you from, man?’ said a boy with hair longer than most girls. ‘Me Madhav Jha from Dumraon, Bihar.’ His friends laughed. Over time, I learnt that people often ask what they call a ‘rhetorical’ questionâ€"something they ask just to make a point, not expecting an answer. Here, the point was to demonstrate that I was an alien amongst them. ‘What are you interviewing for? Peon?' the long-haired boy said and laughed. I didn’t know enough English back then to be offended. Also, I was in a hurry. ‘You know where it is?’ I said instead, looking at his group of friends. They all seemed to be the rich, English types. Another boy, short and fat, seemed to take pity on me and replied, ‘Take a left at the corner of the main red building and you’ll find a sign for the committee room.’ ‘Thank you,’ I said.This I knew how to say in English. |
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