My friend Pammy, a great orator and waitress in one of Bangalore’s posh eateries, was asked by her friends to say a few words on a subject everyone's been talking about — peace. The request came in the wake of a verdict on a long-drawn religious battle. In fact, it was the restaurant’s manager. Considering the fact that he is often very sarcastic about "Pammy talking too much", the request seemed to be more special.
Pammy has the gift of gab and in her two-year-long stint in the eatery, she has managed to attract a size able number of fan following, which she sometimes flaunts about too. I am also one of her many fans. She not only serves hot-piping coffee to the stream of dedicated clientele of the eatery, but often ends up giving her views
on red-hot issues.
Pammy’s husband calls her a lunatic, and Pammy has the grace to accept it as a compliment. She feels that she is better read than her husband, who only knows how to code and decode software language.
"Why the hell do you have to kill people with your irrational talk? Can’t you keep your mouth shut for a second?" are the usual words her husband would grumble.
But, Pammy is Pammy. Nobody can stop her.
But that day was different. Instead of grabbing hold of the opportunity offered by her manager, she refused to speak on the issue.
That left everyone disappointed. Some of her fans were hurt, while some others were surprised.
“It’s time to talk about peace. In peace lies our future. I find her refusal very prudish,” whispered one of her fans.
Pammy did not reveal the reason behind her refusal. She kept everyone guessing.
However, at the dead of night, she sent me an SMS.
“Ishwar Allah 'Terror' naam, sabko sanmati de Bhagwan,” read the text.
I smiled and went off to sleep, chanting the same words, but this time
with more respect.
“Ishwar Allah tero naam, Sabko sanmati de Bhagwan...”
