A few days with a ghost.                         

                                                                 

Chapter 11

cultural integration 

I corrected him “ it is not Menong , it is Menon” . He again called me the same.

After several  attempts I left it as it was and didn’t try to correct him again.

He might have thought that I was dating with his daughter . As dating was very common in Europe , there was no embarrassment. Really I didn’t know whether I was dating with her. We were good friends , other than that there was nothing between us. 

“Hai, how can it be?, you have shared bed with her and now you are thinking yourself as very innocent” My mind asked me.  

My Indian feelings raised in me. That is the problem with us. We feel that our culture is the best one and others are inferior to us. Dating doesn’t mean sharing the bed . It would provide an occasion to know each other. Now in India also,  living together, dating etc have become very common. But in India the dating has a different connotation whereas in Europe and other countries this had been there from early days and treated as the best way to find a match. I cursed my mind and pulled it out of these nonsense thoughts. 

After the Delhi horrifying rape incidents there was  much hue and cry.Protest rallies , etc etc were held and the heat diffused later and we witness spate of rape incidents.  

‘Hello Nayyar’, again he faultered, any way for him Nayyar , Nair or  Menong do not have much difference .Her father’s voice brought me back to the present.  

Mr. Christophe  is a farmer having a big farm away from Munich. Occasionally  he comes to Munich to see his daughter. Germans generally are with well-knit  family bondage. His wife Annie ie Stella’s mother was  married to him around three decades before . Other than Stella they have got one son who studies for PhD in Psychology  in one of the oldest universities in Berlin .  This demolishes Indian assumptions  that westerners are not disciplined in life . 

Though by birth  he was Spanish, by domicile , he had become a German. Germans are quite hard working and highly law abiding citizens. For each activity they used to see the law book to confirm whether it was legal or not. Initially I was wondering why they maintain ten meter gap between each vehicle while driving as I was not used to this since no motorist observes such rules  in India , even though the rule book says. 

‘yes , Mr. Christophe. 

‘I have come to meet my daughter and also to see her boy friend’ Christophe responded , ‘ I have advised my daughter to choose who ever she feels good for her life’ , after all it is her life we parents do not have anything to say’ he continued.

‘Hmm’ He looked at Stella. She sported a smile.

‘we have decided to get into marriage’ I told. Stella flushed and flashed a smile.

A few days with a ghost.                   Adv. Janardhanan venkiachalam

continues