The Middle which was not Published

Contemporary Happenings of a ‘Nuthouse”

By J.N.Vohra

Emerging technologies create a new scenario. These days’ people can be seen around with mobile sets glued to their ears talking to their near and dear ones. It has given sort of new freedom to the young ones; they can now talk their hearts out without any fear of being eavesdropped by their elders.

That reminds me some other incidence that occurred with me when I visited London on one of my trips to Europe. I visited Hyde Park situated in the heart of London city. Just at the side of Park is Speakers’ corner where common people come to speak their heart out on subjects dear to them, be it politics, religion, and economics or what-have-you.

I was briefed by my local hosts that Speaker's Corner is some kind of "nuthouse", where "cranks" and tourists go.

Sitting in one of the corners of the Hyde Park, I heard the mutterings “… dear, don’t be silly, I love you……” I turned aside and saw a young blond with her hands in the pockets seemingly smiling at me and speaking softly.

Overpowered by my sensibilities, I took courage to slide near to her and dotingly uttered ‘dear, are you addressing me…..” Bang! (A slap) was an unexpected response, which shook me out of my senses. “Should I call police, you lunatic….” she yelled and hurried away.

My friend set aside this incidence as a sheer happening of a ‘nuthouse” of the place till the time I brought to his notice that the Blond might be talking to her beloved on a mobile with hands free set or with blue tooth attachment.

Not so long ago when mobile technology was not in vogue, people went to parks to have a stride; some elders would mumble religious hymns pacing up and down the parks. Sometimes we encountered persons who were seen talking in the air incoherently. Knowledgeable ones would narrate many tragedies to us in which these people lost their mental balance. Some were driven out by non-courteous children; some had lost lovable spouses when they needed them most; some had lost everything during partition of the country and could not recover from the shock; and some made huge losses in the business and became paupers overnight, and so on.

With hands free mobile sets and blue tooth technology, the day is not far off when we will see many people; young and old, talking in the air, now smiling, now yelling, now gesticulating, now fondly twisting their lips, pacing down the market places, driving their vehicles, climbing up and down the stairs of buildings, at public places, and sitting or pacing down the Parks. It would become difficult to distinguish, who is mumbling religious hymns, smiling and talking to their beloved ones or are simply psychotic of the yore.