When calling India was $3/minute
I had just started my residency in the early part of 90s. I was excited when I got the phone connection for my apartment in less than a day. I was asked to choose a long distance coompany and in my excitement I said "whatever, I don't care". My excitement turned in to confusion when the operator insisted that I choose between "Whatever" or "I don't Care" companies. I never thought that I should be careful even in this country. Whatever charged $15/mt to India and I don't care $16. I chose MCI for they charged mere $3/mt to India. I was thrilled that I avoided instant debt entrapment. but, the thrill brought a chill when I saw my first phone bill. It was whopping $210 just for long distance calling.
I could not afford such an expense every month with my meager resident salary.I discussed with Radha and concluded that we should cut down on calling India. It was difficult; bondage was tight but salary was light. We reached a compromise. We would call twice a month but restrict the duration. Both of us felt happy as we could still call our loved ones frequent enough. We called our brother-in-law one weekend as we never spoke to him since we came to US. I said hello. he was in his usual moods and began "ha ha ha ha ha ha......" in his customary style. Oh, my goodness! he was laughing for 30 seconds which was the most painful half a minute of my life. What does he think of himself- NTR or SV Ranga Rao. I never paid more than Rs.5 for their movies of 2 1/2 hour duration, whereas he is costing me Rs.75 (32 rupees per dollar)in just 30 seconds. A costliest laughter for a Tollywood consumer I suppose. before I could connive to make him speak, he said, "so you took this long to call me ha ha ha ha.........". Another Rs.75 laughter. Should there be some Code of Conduct for international calling, i wondered. "Are you doing Ok" I asked exasperated. "Of course as I am in India ha ha ha ha......". I had no choice but to use the age old and time tested technique-"hello, hello, can't hear, hello hello, useless phone service!" I hung up.
I did not dare to look at Radha, but dialed her sister's number and gave the phone. "hello, hello baagunnava" and she described the events in the last two weeks and explained how hard I was working. Her sister enquired further about my well being and Radha volunteered even more. It was time- I pointed at the watch to Radha and she expressed that she had to hang up. But her sister and brother-in-law desired to talk to me also. Sensing that it would prolong the call, I ran in to the bathroom. But much to my chagrin, they decided to wait for me. I was lucky, walls were wooden, lest I would have had a bruise on my forehead. I rushed out of the bathroom and spoke to them as politely as I could.
I was sweating under mounting fiscal pressure. Can not use the same old technique.I would be scorched just by Radha's looks. They were a bunch of nice people and I spoke to them to my wife's satisfaction. I expressed shortly later that I had an urgent business to take care and hung up and rushed in to the bathroom to convince radha of my genuine need.Years later, I took up a job as an attending and one fine day called the same laughing-buddhu, the self-proclaimed NTR (off-screen)and said"hello bava, ha..ha...ha.ha......"laughed for 45 seconds.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
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