chutzpah

A few years back went to Jaipur from Delhi with a friend. As part of the plan, we went by bus and came back in train. We reached Jaipur railway station after covering the important places to visit in the pink city. We behaved upto the mark of royalness of the city by going to such places and planned to see off the city with a royal brunch. We were done with the brunch and a few local friends joined us and they dropped us at the station. I picked up a book and my friend is not a reader. He was waiting for the train to arrive, so that he can board first, crash on the berth and go for a long sleep, journey tiredness. Finally train arrived and we checked our names before boarding and settled down at our places. I started reading and he went for his most awaited sleep. Slowly co-passengers started boarding and our companions, consists a big family, so needless to say about the luggage and jumping up and down. Lucky us, back-packers, dumped our luggage on the top berth along with my buddy. The family had settled down and started eating, with never miss the lunch attitude. I was completely irritated with that behaviour of eating heavy lunches with a big bang home cooked stuff etc and never liked that having lunch on time concept too. My thought then was that its ok to skip a lunch, even today I apply the same funda for myself but not for others, I don't mind, if they have and make some noise around thru it, the reason being, now I realised the importance of discipline and health.

While the family enjoying the lunch, a hefty man entered the coach with heavy luggage. Started saying these our berths so you vacate. I didn't get involved and played the role of TC, thinking this is common in train travels that one gets confused with the seat numbers because they are hardly visible. The head of the family got confused and started explaining to the jumbo that this is so and so coach number and these are our berths. Jumbo was not at all paying any attention and he was shouting at his family to come and occupy their places. He told the family man to go and check the coach number and you should check the names once again. His confidence caught my attention. I lost in thought, what if they changed the passengers list outside after we had boarded. What if our seats have been upgraded to another compartment. I called out my friend and signed him go and check the names once again. Meanwhile this jumbo removed the family's luggage, which was kept under the lower berth, put his baggage and started eating the noisy chips. As I said, eating in the crowded train that too with noise, not my scene. My friend got down from his berth and asked me what is going on. I quickly narrated him the scene and told him to check the names once again to be on the safer side.

He followed the family man to check the names and came back with a smiling and not to worry face. I realised that jumbo made a nuisance here and wanted to see how the family man handles the scene. The family man came and told, see these are our seats and you please go and check them once again. Jumbo again confidently started saying check the coach number and etc. Then my friend pitched in and said, sir we have already checked and you please go and check once and asked by the by what is your coach number and seat number. He showed his ticket then we realised that, this is not his coach at all and then heard the train horn. In one minute or less than that, jumbo had to remove his luggage, the family man has to keep his luggage back, settle down and the jumbo has to search his coach. All this hungama because he didn't see the coach number properly and not allowed other to even correct him. That is his chutzpah, that means his audacity.

Audacity, heard word but not chutzpah, this is from hebrew language, picked it up from Haider movie. While audacity never got my attention but chutzpah did, the main reason being, the way it is pronounced and thrill when you hear that word. After that, I started realised we see these kind of chutzpahs very regularly in life, they not only confuse you but they will help you in ending up in trouble too if you are not awake. The only solution to encounter these chutzpahs is to keep your calm and hear them out and simply say what you wanted to say than ending up in draining your energy by arguing with them.

Keep calm and stay out of trouble - happy chutzpah :)