July 29, 2004

We are all fond of meetings that end up with promises for more meetings. Zubeida A. Dossal jots down minutes of one such meeting

Last Saturday some of us friends met at a place. Inevitably, the talk turned to the state of affairs in our country and, of course, it was complaints and more complaints all the way. But as it was an interesting group of friends, solutions were discussed, to be usually shot down pessimistically by the others.

“You ask me to complain in writing?” fumed one. “I’ve complained and complained — all complaints sit, just sit, either in the incoming tray, or just wait, to go in the outgoing one.”

Another from the group was more vociferous, “Nothing short of a revolution will bring about a change.”

“Yes, but will it be a change for the better or for the worse? Remember, revolutions and revolutionaries run amok.”

A debate began. Everyone agreed that every department needed to be improved.

“Yes warn them — tell them to bestir themselves or else ...”.

“Or else what?” another sneered. “Haven’t we heard this before and many a time?”

“True! A few heads may roll; and whose will those be? Those who with no bhai-bandi in the present set-up. Also who knows who’ll replace them? Perhaps people more corrupt, indifferent or lazy!”

So revolution was ruled out. Evolution did not seem to be making any headway in our country. Axing the department heads was a gamble and gambling is taboo in our state; So?

So, with one suggestion after another being vetoed, we were stuck till Javaid, whom we call Jeeves, came up with an impractical but intriguing solution — which had us all participating vigorously and adding our bit just for the heck of it.

“Imagine, just imagine,” he said, “if we had, like Humayun’s saviour the water carrier, complete power for one day, just one day — what couldn’t we do?”

“I’d prefer releasing the bottled genie or have in my hand Aladdin’s lamp,” said Farida, “Come on, folks what would we do?”

After many hair-brained, wild and wacky schemes one emerged which everyone liked, though with reservations at first.

“A meeting,” proposed Zia!

A meeting!” was the first reaction from all. “We have far too many meetings, too much talk and too little or no work. No, no, more meetings!” said everyone.

Arre bhai, this will be different. Every big-wig with his umpteen small wigs will be there, our genie will see to that,”

“And__?”

“And then we will see the fun. We’ll be the invisible watchers of this high-powered meeting.”

So we were and did we enjoy it!

Everyone was there. As they came in they salaamed to this one, bowed to that one, smiled at another and ignored that “turn-coat” there.

Thank you genie. They were all on time. The chairperson, a VVVIP, called the meeting to order.

“Gentlemen and ladies, this,” he informed them, “is a very unusual meeting.” Heads nod. “Even I do not know its agenda. All I’ve been told, and I pass it on to you, is that after this meeting we shall see things in quite a different light.”

Hardly had he uttered the word light, when as if by magic all the lights went off. The fans stopped; the air-conditioners went dead.

“Karim!” shouted the chairman to his man, “generator challao! Jaldi karro — fauran.”

“Sahib,” said poor trembling Karim, “the generator, too, is not working.”

“Not working!” Call the maintenance man.

Out goes Karim and comes in a little later informing, “Sir, no phones are working.” Angrily the chairman picks up his cell phone; everyone else does the same. A dead silence.

Every single person is wiping his brow. The heat is unbearable. May be it was imagination but they could hear a small whisper, “This is what your people go through, day in, day out....”

Perspiring, partly due to the heat, partly due to some in-born fear, most hands reach out for the water in the jug. “Where is the mineral water?” they ask.

“There is none today. The bottles have all disappeared — we were told to fill it from the taps.”

“It is all right, sir,” Karim soothes them, “we drink this water everyday.”

A voice whispers “what is sauce for the goose is ...”

Shut up! says someone in exasperation? The water in the jug remains untouched.

“Gentlemen, ladies I do not know what to make of all this. I’m as nonplussed as you. We’ll wait for five minutes, maybe we’ll know what is actually happening here and then we adjourn.”

Everyone is soon pushing back his chair, eager and impatient to be gone from this jinxed meeting. Oh, for the comfort of the air-conditioned chauffeur-driven car, and the even more luxurious split-level cool of their bungalows.

But what’s this? Where is the car? In fact, there are no cars!

A voice whispers, “Why walk in the park? Why play golf or tennis or squash? Just walk home — its good for you. Your peon does it daily and so do many, many others .... or perhaps you’d like to take a bus.”

Unconsciously everyone nods. A vision of a bus conjures up in minds of those present. It comes, its conductor leans out very precariously, but the bus whizzes past — no room! Even the roof has passengers — wasn’t one of them the office chaprassi? The members had not till this moment ever thought of the hardships those working under them went through.

All are waiting, no one talks and each is wondering, what next?

Then suddenly all the lights come on.

They all look inquiringly at the chairman to see what he will do.

“Gentlemen, ladies,” he says in a very humbled voice ... “I have learnt a lesson. I don’t know about you but today I cannot carry on the meeting. I have lots of thinking and planning to do. Maybe you, too, are sharing this feeling with me. I’ll call you all tomorrow and we shall begin our work.”

“Yes, tomorrow is another day. Hopefully we wait for something to happen, and we hope with all our hearts and souls something will be done,” pray the silent watchers.

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