Short Story with Moral – Language Trick
Language Trick
Photo credit: Kevin_P from morguefile.com
Once Swapnil went to Assam for some job. He indeed was able to make quite a good number of local friends, but the only thing he disliked about them was their force on him to learn Assamese. They literally used to be stubborn to not to understand what he was speaking, even if he tried to manage in Hindi or English.
Swapnil indeed learn not full but to that extent that he could manage day to day dealings with a person who knows nothing except Assamese to fulfil his needs. Among his friend circle in Assam, one was again selected to come to Kolkata after quite some time from when Swapnil returned from Assam. So he contacted Swapnil and decided to stay together in Swapnil’s house for those few days.
They started staying together, but Swapnil never forced him to learn his regional language, but was looking for an opportunity to give his friend back the treat, he gave when he was in Assam. His friend was well managing with Hindi and English.
One day when Swapnil and his friend took some tea and biscuits from a shop and the friend wanted to pay the bill for the same, Swapnil made his mind to give the treat to his friend then and then. Just after completing the tea, his friend rubbing his hand asked the shopkeeper about how much he needed to pay.
To that when the shopkeeper said “dosh taka”,
Immediately the friend very rudely said, “Ah!! Can’t you say in Hindi or English. How could you think everyone to be from your region?”
Immediately after that Swapnil told, “bis rupaiya”, before the shopkeeper could say anything.
To that the friend was stunned and started telling in English, “Is it so? I felt like he told 10 rupees!!!”
Then Swapnil said, “Yes it is indeed 10 rupees. I feel there is not much difference for the word 10 in Bengali and in Hindi. You very well understood but still then you refused to understand the same and forced him to tell in a language you know. But when I was in your state, you never allowed me to speak in the language I know, even if the opposite person understood me. You forced me to learn your language, but I won’t do so, as I believe being an Indian, everyone should know Hindi – the national language for must, then his mother tongue and others as per his wish.”
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