Corporate Lessons - Chapter 2: "English, Mothafucka! Do you speak it?"

Act 1

I got the spookiest phone call last night.

*Tring, tring* (actually, it was my cell phone and the ringtone was 'Money' by Pink Floyd, but *tring,tring* is so much more dramatic)

"Yeah?"

"Hi Avichal"

"Laloo?"

"Yea Hi this is Abhishek"

"Kya?? Laloo?"
(Translation: "What?? Laloo?")

"Yea did you talk to Anosh about the mail regarding change in shift timing?"

"Nahi be main 5 minute mein baat karke tujhe batata hun, waise tu bhi mail kar hi dena"
(Translation: "No man I'll talk to him and let you know in 5 minutes, but you send the mail anyway")

"Yea ok let me know"

If you're wondering what is so spooky about the call, I don't blame you. But consider this: I have never, NEVER once in the 4 years that I have known Abhishek aka Laloo, conversed with him in the Queen's language! Do you blame me for being scared out of my wits when Laloo suddenly calls up and unleashes howhaw Oxbridge on me??

Of course, being fellow corporate bitches, both he and I are expected to, and do speak English within our workspace. But still, I never thought he'd do this to me!

So I call back after 5 minutes and decide to lay it on him.

*Tring,tring* (This time it's the actual sound, since I'm making the call)

"Haan Laloo"
(Translation: "Yeah Laloo")

"Yeah Avichal" (He's still doing it!)

"Haan be mail kar dena pakke se, Anosh shayad ghar chala gaya hai"
(Translation: "Yeah dude send the mail for sure, Anosh seems to have left for home")

"Ok"

"Aur saale angrezi mein baat karne se pehle warning de diya karo"
(Translation:"And do warn me before you start talking to me in English asshole")

And I put the phone down immediately, thus conveying my reaction appropriately.

Act 2

Laloo returns from office, and I don't even wait to give him a breather.

"Behen ke laude angrezi mein kahe batiya rahe the phone par?"
(Translation: "Why the fuck were you talking in English over the phone you sister's dick?")

"Abe mera Boss paas mein hi tha, aur usne humko thodi hi der pehle lecture sunaya tha ki office mein Hindi nahi bolni hai kyunki foreign employees ko bura lagta hai"
(Translation: "Dude my Boss was nearby, and he had recently instructed us about not speaking in Hindi as it makes the foreign employees uncomfortable")

"Maa ki chut uski"
(Translation: "Fuck him!")

"Haan saala"
(Translation: "Sure!")

Yea yea I know I'm being unreasonably whiny and hypocritical about the whole thing, considering I'm actually writing this post in English and providing translations for all Hindi sentences. But it's still bewildering when your closest friends - with the possible exception of Mandu who was born out of America's pussy and plans to return there asap, and Dube who is just an incorrigible Delhi dood - talk to you in English. What's next? Mudit? Nishant? Barsaiyan? Dassa?? Tau??????

I'm too scared to write anything else!