Groups and Talks.

Group talks have always interested me. There is something fascinating about them. In early years of my life, the talks were more homely and the gentry were in-house, kind of. Then on in academic life the talks was more casual and nonchalant and gentry was heavily gender biased, courtesy not so impressive interpersonal skills, with the better humans, and prettier too.

In early days I can easily picture myself hovering around, a bunch of beautiful ladies of home, elegantly draped in bright sarees, their discussion being complimented by the clinging sound of their bangles and by most honest expressions, it used to act like a magnet for me. I was so much into it, that there was a time when I believed I could actually sniff it happening.

Such meetings are most frequent under the umbrella of some family event, time is post meal, post lunch is most favorable. Initially I used to stand and attend, with experience I learnt to crawl and merge. They used to be so much engrossed in their talks that my encroachment was often ignored, but it was not long before somebody would notice me, probably she was not being heard, may be. And then everybody would turn to me and I used to greet them with the expression, “Did I do something wrong ?”… well, I knew the answer. On my walk away, I could hear them, asking my mother, why he is so keen in all this…even she didn’t had the answer to it. Neither had I.

But honestly I owe a lot of my learning to such events, for some reasons:

1. Nobody is praised
2. Nobody is talked ill of, either, and that’s the beauty.
3. Nobody from the group is discussed, so safe to be in.
4. The one, who reveals most sensational stuff, is hailed most.
5. This adds a lot of competition to it.
6. Secrets revealed, would sure leave me in awe.
7. But for my attendance, I would have never, in my life, could have been aware
8. People discussed, are so much different as they were known, otherwise.
9. One gets an idea, how is one thought of in accordance to one’s conduct.
10. You stay updated.

Rarely, if the subject of discussion happens to pass by, the expression is priceless. Not only of the group but of the subject too….