Indian rhythm !

India has its own rhythm.You have to take nothing as granted. If you want to live in India and maintain peace this is the only way.No work is done explicitly. Even routine works fall in to this category. Every work on every day has to be freshly seen, freshly understood and discussed elaborately with people around. Actions may be the same as previous or entirely new. There is absolutely no care on time.

I went to a bank nearby to withdraw cash as the credit card is yet be fully understood by the local traders.Dot at 8.30 in the morning I was at the bank premises and was very happy to see that I got a token number 4. After about 10 minutes one payment counter got opened and token number 1 was promptly called.I was on my toes when number 3 was called. This is when providence chose to play its decisive role. Suddenly counter number 2 where an elderly lady officer was sitting for 10 minutes and rummaging the PC with a counter foil she was holding, chose to press the call button for token number 4. I was left with no option but go to the counter with less than a buoyant spirit.

The lady slowly shifted her glance from the counter foil she to me. She politely advised "You have to wait! I have not yet been issued with cash". After consoling me she went back to work on the stub. While I was idling, I chose to listen to surrounding voices which are part and parcel of the Indian environement. To my chagrin I found that counter number 1 was already calling token number 8, while I was on a tryst with destiny.

Suddenly I heard voices from the back of the counter.Both were lady voices and the subject of discussion was something on their family. The conversation went on and on and suddenly by some quirk of fate, one of the voices reminded my payment officer to receive the cash for the day.The elderly lady with lot of reluctance got up from her chair, as she was still working on the stub and walked a few paces backwards to retrieve the cash for the day.

Time does not stop even for the emperor and almost 15 minutes have passed since I made the appearance at the counter. After counting and arranging the cash in its assigned place,the lady officer looked at me benevolently and asked what change I required. I did not want to put in more hurdles and quietly accepted whatever she could give.By the time I left the premises it was 9'O clock, a good half an hour of precious time.

My behaviour at the bank was one of experimentation as I have decided to lower my spirit and live with the world as it wants me to be. I usually protest and push people to hasten up. But the experience gave me an invaluable reward at the end. A taste of complete peace with the environment.

Multitude of people living in this part of the globe undergo thousands of similar experience at airports, railway stations, hospitals, and shops.Indians consider patience to be a virtue and these experiences allow them to practice and hone up the its quality daily. They are still a contended lot as they seem to like the reward of peace, like what I realised at the end.

All glory to the Indian public!