ARTICLE : NO INTERNET

 NO INTERNET

 

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

 

03/IV/2022

 

Last night one slept after having watched a serial, thereafter on the bed, scrolling the mobile till the eyes automatically closed. As a ritual one turns the net off before finally knocking off. It is not to avoid friends but ‘certain type of people’. We shall discuss them.

 

The usual reaction on getting up is to check our mobiles. There was no message from anyone on both my phones. Generally, messages pile up in hundreds. How could there be no ‘unread messages’? ‘Sare dost kahin mar to nahi gaye’ was one thought but then one slept late after having seen most of the messages and ‘skipped’ many of them on purpose. WhatsApp and other social media platforms showed there was nothing unread. Very unusual.

 

Internet was showing full signals. ‘Chaar dandas’ to be precise, which earlier used to be max two dandas. One had to change the service provider for the issue of net connectivity. How fanatically they begged thereafter to continue with them once the request to change was given. They promised to sort it out within four days. A thought to ‘chabi lagao’ them again crossed my mind but then let it pass.

 

It was then that my wife told me that today the internet services have been curtailed, as last night there were ‘Riots’ in parts of the old city. We searched news channels and finally homed on to the Rajasthan news. Yes, it was official that ‘Id’ and ‘Akha Teej’ would be without internet. Max marriages take place on Akha Teej. No selfies, no pics no nothing would be uploaded today. How sad!

 

I told myself ‘Sanu key’. A day without “forwards”. Some good, some hilarious, some intelligent, some thought provoking, some “bharkau”, many politically inclined, some forwarded blindly without reading, some meaningless, some godly ones, some stale PJs, most of all good mornings. It is good that people remember you, but remembering around 2-3am are the irritating ones.

 

With plethora of messages doing circles, some with a caveat to forward to ten friends or else… Who remembers what has been forwarded to whom and when? That message would have already done many rounds around the world and possibly reached some of your friends. A few friends would be curt to tell you that ‘why do you repeat messages?’. Some say they had seen it before, meaning there was no point in sending it. How do you know that someone had already been enlightened? Fastest finger would have sent it first and there could be many FF types.

 

In the middle of the night, you hear the mobile tring-tring, as if war has broken out. It turns out to be a spam or a good morning message at night. What the heck? One feels like replying by making those dirty smiley faces followed by #$@^*%! in multiples. The sender too should suffer the agony.

 

Matter doesn’t end here. If one has two numbers people send the same message on both. All those who never say good morning otherwise ensure that you read that good morning quote. Bachhe ki jaan loge kya?

 

One is a culprit too, as this article I shall post to some people individually, some friends would be common on the schoolmates’ group, class mates’ group, course mates’ group and then friends on face book, some would be following my blogs. My goodness isn’t it too much of the same cake being served over and over again to the same person. There is no way one can avoid this.

 

There are a few who complain that the time you post your article is our time for siesta. Noted sir. Some even say that you have no other work except writing and pasting. Some say ‘ already read it on mail’ and WhatsApp and……. Some don’t even read, classifying it to be riff-raff, never mind. Out of hundreds of recipients only few care to reply and they are regulars.  

 

Yes, if it is a ‘controversial issue’, people wake up from their slumber and come all guns blazing to tell me what subject to write on and what to avoid. Some get nasty but they have to be ignored for their narrow mindedness.

 

Today, due to the ‘dangas’ internet has been curtailed. It would be family time. There would be no need to check the mobile every now and then. One thing we would definitely miss is the web series we are watching on Netflix called ‘Money Heist’. It is gripping. Of course, we have the IPL match to watch in-lieu.

 

I hope good sense prevails. ‘Sarkar’ and ‘the people’ need to restore peace & harmony besides the internet facility asap. Ours was a very peaceful town, this rioting is worrisome. Will people understand the futility of such clashes? I wonder!!!!!!!!!

 

 JAI HIND

© NOEL ELLIS