Big Talk from Big People, Ji!
He’s a very big man, you see. But even bigger than the man himself are his “big talks” — grand statements that echo through every alley and neighborhood, always perched on people’s tongues.
Honestly, who hasn’t dreamt of becoming a “big man” one day? I had that dream too. In fact, from childhood itself—not to grow up quickly per se, but to become someone important was a burning desire. Kids today, though, aren't obsessed with becoming big men—they just want to grow up fast. Sometimes even more so, their parents do.
Back then, I would constantly scan my surroundings, trying to figure out who the real big man was. At one point, the school peon who rang the bell seemed like the ultimate big shot to me. I mean, think about it—he controlled when school began and when it ended! We didn’t understand the concept of len-den (give-and-take) at that age. If we had, maybe we’d have bribed him to ring the dismissal bell early! But that illusion shattered the day I saw him begging our headmaster for two days’ leave.
Then the headmaster became our new model of a big man. I began dreaming of becoming like him. The moment he entered school, the entire place would freeze as if someone had been saanp soongh gaya ho (bitten by silence). Every morning, he’d make a couple of students murga (a punishment pose) and whip a few others with a thin stick—as if that was his breakfast. Then he'd retreat to his chamber and spend the rest of the day barking orders at teachers. I thought—now that’s the kind of authority and aura I want! But even that dream crumbled when a government inspector visited, and I saw our same fearsome headmaster groveling before him.
And so went the cycle—we dreamt of being magicians, halwais (sweet-makers), singers, actors, dancers… anything and everything. Somehow, becoming a doctor never crossed our minds as a "big" ambition—maybe because doctors gave injections, and we hated both giving and receiving those!
Though yes, becoming a policeman did sound exciting. The mere mention of police sent tremors through the whole village! I once expressed this desire to my parents. But instead of encouragement, they warned me that if the police ever got wind of someone wanting to become like them, they’d arrest him on the spot!
As we grew up, so did our disillusionment. One thing became clear—there’s a vast difference between an “object” and a “big man.” See something from afar, and it looks small; get closer, and it appears in its real size. But with big men, it’s the opposite. From a distance, they look larger than life. But up close? Sometimes so small, so petty, that you feel disgusted.
Being a big man works a lot like the theory of relativity. You’re only as big as long as there’s no one bigger standing next to you. The moment someone more powerful shows up, your big man begins to shrink—especially through his behavior. His grand stature starts to unravel, and he appears exposed. The proud, upright back slouches, and suddenly, he’s crawling. The world is full of these illusions. People are jostling and elbowing each other to become big men. And once they do, they repay those old bruises with interest—by shoving the ones below them.
They’ve become big people, yes. But whether true greatness lies underneath the surface? That’s another matter altogether. In fact, the bai (maid), the peon, the servant in such elite homes often whisper the most biting truths about these “big men’s” fragile humanity and hollow sensitivity.
Still, big people are big, sir. And their big talk is even bigger. As long as they’re alive, even if their dog dies, the whole town turns up for the terahveen (13th-day mourning ceremony). But the day they die? If even four people show up to carry their corpse on the bier, you’d consider it a blessing.
In the end, the illusion that truly shattered was this: a big man is not the one who appears grand while living, but the one whose goodness and dignity people still remember after he's gone.
Anyway, what do I know? I’m just a small man, after all. Why get into arguments with the big folks? Let them keep having their bade-bade baatein—Big Talk from Big People, Ji!
