So wat’s up??

Most of us have an added limb to us i.e. the extension of ourselves and cannot do without. It might be possible to think of not breathing for a few minutes but not of having this limb of ours out of sight. What could I be talking about , of course the mobile. This gadget has caught popularity and now indispensable like no one would have imagined. Let’s not talk about the last decade when mobiles were not as much  used as today, it makes one look from the Jurassic age.

The moment one gets up it is mandatory to have a quick glance on the status of the mobile, what if it has died at night. So I quickly grab it and check if it has “delivered”  at night! If so check it – a wisdom laden goodnight from a friend whom I never thought of in ages or a silly joke of Santa or a MCA deduction message. Well that just tells me the day has begun normally. Then as one steps out of the house its intersting to watch that all are busy on their mobile. It looks as if all are interested in speaking to people who are far away/not with them. Strange, but true, why else do you think mobiles are such fast selling gadgets.  All are keen to know,’So wat’s up?”

Okay the day beigns get into the bus. As I try to squeeze inthis long route bus, there are these young frehers who with their swanky mobile are getting in,  with a minute to minute reporting of how crowded the bus is – God knows to whom , all assuming that they are talking to their boyfriends.   Once in the bus,the early birds  – the daily wage workers from Bihar, Orissa and of course North Karnataka. There goes this young man somewhere from Bihar in the strong Bihari talking to some family member back home. The conversation could be of anything ranging for a call to ask about well being to marriage of elder brother or sending money. Depending on the subject , voice and length of the conversations is modulated.

As this happens comes the conductor who has his chants’ ticket-ticket’  continuously and seems to be constantly disgusted with the passengers.  His prejudice to the outside Karantaka/Bangalore becomes clear when he reaches this Bihari friend of ours conversing with folks at home. He reels out a list of strong words for talking so loudly and nudging him with elbow as this Bihari is balancing himself , the phone,his purse and the tool box while talking. and buying the ticket simultaneously.

Later the conductor makes his way to the ladies section of the bus. There one finds girls who are so engrossed in their conversation through  their headphones, that they even forget the name of the stop! The conductor almost would want to pull of those ear plugs but just has to hold himself back. There are others so much into listening music or some station that they are in slumber. Few others who are  not sure where to get down – keep naming each stop to who ever they are calling through their mobile and asking for directions when to get down.

The best  incident I ever had was of a young Muslim girl who had her old parents  with her and she had a swanky phone with all uploads/downloads of songs and videos. The journey was for about 45 minutes and seemed it was the maiden experience for her parentsin the Red Volvo bus in Bangalore. To make them comfortable and have a pleasant journey she gave them the phone and asked them to listen to some music. Here was this couple who didn’t find ear phones comfortable, I guess. They didn’t know to play with this gadget either, all they knew was that she had some songs in the moble that they liked. So there she goes full blast on the petite screen of her mobile – all the hit quwalis from Amar Akbar Anthony, Zanjeer, Hum Kisise kum nahin – FULL BLAST. All the heads turn towards them, but and she is oblivious of this reaction. The three of them and the rest of the passengers listen to these quwalis till they get down at their destination.

It is tempting to think of a journey without the mobiles now being the lifeline of each one.