KAIFHALAK 'MY CAR' HAMDUL ALLAH

All of us have come across dreadful accidents on the road. Some which are really fatal. Road Traffic is hell! It honking, shouting and cursing. Being in the driver’s seat is no more a gentleman’s job anymore. I presume we all agree on this. But recently I made this interesting and for those who haven't been to Muscat, rather amusing observations which I am going to share with you.

What happens is there is in accident in India (with what I have seen in Kerala)?

Let’s consider an accident scene. An auto guy ramming into a car while taking a superfast U-turn is the most common. Now let’s observe the conversation that follows after the accident.

Auto driver: Chai nasham... ravile vandiyeduthondu oronnu eragum bakiullavarkku paniundakan (early morning crazy fellow will take his car and come to make job for others)

Car driver: Nayande mone (Son of a dog) !!! evide noki ada auto audikunnathu? (Where are you looking and driving your auto?)

Auto guy: Ayo... eee roadu eyakku sreedhanam kittiyathayirunnuvo? ( Ayo, you had got this road as dowry?)

Car guy: Autokondu vandiyil orachadum pora.. evande okai samsaram ketille!(He has not only scrached my car with his auto and look how he is talkin now) Mariyathaku kashu thanittu poyikko... Veruthe eniku pani ondakaruthu (Like a good boy pay me and go... dont make me do things)

Other Auto guys: carinu onnum pattiyilla.. saar autokaranu cash kodukku.. etharayum time waste chaithathinu.. Time is money (Nothing happened to the car.. you pay the auto guy for wasting so much time)

The conversation that follows after this is something I don't want to type and surely you don't want to read it either... Some how they settle the matter amongst themselves and escape the cops.

But strangely in Muscat my experience was different. Let’s consider an accident scene where both are cars.

Driver 1: Kaifhalak?... kaif sa thaiwein? Kaif sa chiko? Kaif sa....? kaif sa...? kaif sa...?

Driver 2: Zain yani.. humdul allah.. Kaif sa thaiwein? Kais sa chiko? Kaif sa....? kaif sa...? kaif sa...?

(Both are asking each other. how are you? How is your wife? How are your children? How is your goat and hens? How are your parents? How it this? How is that?.... it goes on... this is the typical Omani greeting.. and mind you.. these guys are always very calm after an accident)

Driver 1: Let’s call the police...

Police is very fast there. One officer turns up in 5mins. After the same set of greetings between the officer and both the guys...

Police guy: What happened?

Driver1: Its my fault sir, I should have been more attentive..

Driver 2: Not at all sir, my friend is being too modest; actually I didn't see him coming...

Driver 1: Oh come on yani.. Why are you taking the blame?

Police guy: Wallah.. Looks like both of you have no complaints. So I guess you can sort the matter amongst yourselves then.

Driver1: my friend how much should i pay you for the damage I have caused?

Driver2: Oh no my friend... I have caused more damage to your car.

Police guy: Ok.. Looks like it’s settled. Now both of you take your cars and move on.

(The drivers are not supposed to move the car from the accident scene till the cops come)

So now you must be wondering what happens when a Malayali and an Omani has an accident... Guess the title answers it for you!

That reminds me. Once a royal member banged his car into a very poor fellow’s Daihatsu. The poor fellow lost his car. To his surprise, the royal fellow bought him the same Daihatsu; same model even though it was out of production.

Brand New Junk!