Poor Dinesh ! Poor Poor Dinesh !!

 Poor Dinesh ! Poor Poor Dinesh !!

No it’s about me. Just to be clear. It’s all about poor Dinesh at the New Delhi International Airport. I should have walked upto him and patted his shoulder in sympathy. I should have blessed him and wished him more stoicism. But I did not. Social conventions mandate discretion at times.

I was standing in line at the Tea Counter. In December. Keeping a social distance due to some in the queue coughing. A sort of distance as in Covid times so to say. I had to, after all if the wife wants tea so do you. The perils of social distancing came into play suddenly. A young lady with a stroller and a rather grown up kid just bulldozed her way in. Swung the stroller around like a weapon and said excuse me Sir, step back. Taken aback at this new mode of warfare, a stroller with a kid included, moving across in a wide arc, pointedly at me, I stepped back. Immediately.

The young lady after that said, Dinesh, take the stroller and watch Rajesh. I noticed a young man, tall, smart, standing six feet away. He moved to take the stroller as the young lady tells the kid - must be over three years- Baba, don’t fret, Mamma is here only, Mama wants tea, my precious, mama is here only. The young kid said nothing, simply slithered around in his seat.

As we stood in line, Dinesh should we must have tea, how far to our flight gate, watch Rajesh, do not look here there. The commentary was just about continuous, sharp, emphatic. He received it by just not uttering a word. Not a nod. Silent. I thought it was a heroic display of fortitude. I thought

Poor Brave Dinesh. then Rajesh said, Mom, I am hungry. And she went all sweetness, No darling, Mama has something for you, in my bag. Not this stuff. You just wait. Oh Baba. mama will just be with you ! And they are both just there. Dinesh just looks on. Quietly. And by now everyone is watching. Even those with trays in their hands, the hot tea and snacks could wait, this was too engrossing! It was a longish queue, the observations were non stop and entertaining.

We reached the counter. To my regret. I was enjoying watching this green sweater clad, maybe around five feet two inches in your face attitude types young lady and her verbal throws. It seemed they were working in the USA and going home for a holiday. I think poor Dinesh must be talking at work, but if it was work from home, then maybe he was like a prisoner.

Just then the young lady took on the affable counter guy. What’s this, so many teas. What is a Kulhad chai. Then Dinesh should we have a Kulhad chai ! But I think we will have the masala chai. He nodded both times. The counter guy says, Madam, your order. There are twelve people in line. She stared him down. How much time for the tea to be made, the actual chai. The counter guy said five minutes, but let me know your order , if it involves some cooking etc, ten minutes, else under five minutes. Please decide quickly.

And she got angry at this, you are not clear, she shot back, and then Dinesh, he does not know, he says below five minutes, maybe ten minutes. They are not clear. I don’t think we can have tea here. And we have a flight to catch. I think we should skip tea. The tall man just turned the stroller around immediately. Off they went.

Slowly the small group standing around dispersed. It was the end of the show. But rather than place my order, I think ought to have run up and just patted Dinesh on the back. Stay strong Dinesh !!