👱♀️,🐀 🐀 🐀and🐈⬛
This blog I wrote just for laughs. Language and communication is the back bone for any type of bonding between humans. Devoid of this can lead to hilarious situations at times.
MOMENTS OF JOY – WHAT MADE YOU LAUGH!!!
That moment you lost it in joy, in absurdity, in life.
As I was scrolling the page in Substack the other day, I caught upon Ral Joseph’s post which had mentioned to write a small blog of 200 words on the above topic. I was excited and I wrote a small blog too. Since I am not a paid subscriber it wasn’t feasible for me to submit. So I decided to publish this blog as a newsletter. Hope all you will enjoy reading the same.
Language can create laughter when meanings get lost!
Well! This topic is truly interesting. The moment I saw it, I just had to pen down one unforgettable and funny experience I had many, many years ago.
Language plays a vital role in communication — and when it fails, the results can be absolutely hilarious!
In India, we have countless languages and dialects, each with its own charm and confusion. My story is about one such “lost in translation” moment from my early married life.
In this blog - The meaning of BOUDI- The lady/ Madam. INDUR- Rat. BIDAAL- Cat.
I had just started my new journey as a young bride, living at IIT Kharagpur, West Bengal, INDIA. Life started as new married bride started in a neat little 1BHK apartment. Life was all joy and excitement. The local language was Bengali, and since I was fluent in Hindi, I thought, “No problem! I’ll manage just fine.”
Everyday milk was delivered by a milkman . He came every morning, along with maids, vegetable vendors, and sweepers with whom I interacted daily. Everything was new and cheerful until one night, I forgot to close the kitchen window.
The next morning, I found potatoes scattered all over the floor — some even had teeth marks! I shrugged it off, too busy enjoying my new life to worry about kitchen mysteries. But that night, I saw something moving… something black and quick! On closer look — a BIG RAT 🐀 — followed by a whole parade of smaller ones! My heart almost stopped.
I grabbed the nearest broomstick like a warrior with a sword and charged into battle! Pots clanged, boxes toppled, and there I was, swinging my “weapon” in panic and fury while the rats played hide-and-seek with me like Jerry teasing poor Tom.
And right in the middle of this chaos — DING DONG! — the milkman arrived! I opened the door, still holding the broom like a battle flag, with my hair messy, eyes wide, and my face twisted in disgust and determination.
Meaning of BOUDI- The lady/ Madam. INDUR- Rat. BIDAAL- Cat.
The poor milkman froze, staring at me.
“Boudhi! (Madam), what happened? Why are you looking like Kali Ma?” he asked in Bengali.
I replied hurriedly in Hindi, “Ghar mein choohe hain! (There are rats in the house!) I’m trying to chase them out — it’s impossible! Can you help me?”
The milkman thought for a second and said in Bengali, “Boudhi, kichhu hobe na. Apnar ekta bidaal rakhoon. Toh indur ra chole jaabe.”
(“Madam, nothing to worry. Keep a bidaal at home — the rats will go away.”)
Completely puzzled, I asked, “What is bidaal? Yeh bidaal kya hai? Kahan milta hai?”( No Google to search or translate 😂).
The milkman made a serious face, then suddenly went, “Meow… meow!” 🐱
This was so cute and hilarious at the same time 😆 Loved how you turned a simple memory into something that made me grin from start to finish.
Good