Iga en aayuthu?

Iga en aayuthu? Translated this means, 'Now, what happened?'as in 'Why the fuss? Nothing has happened as yet.." kinda connotation. 'En aayuthu is an attitude. It's a view point that refuses to budge until the consequences hit you on the face.You move only when the good earth has been pulled out from under your feet and there is no straw to continue clinging to.

I am a just a few months old in Bangalore and still in the process of figuring out the ways in which this city ticks. Of course, I've come across the 'En ayuthu' attitude in other places, but, in Bangalore, known for its temperate folks,it sticks out prominent. Like a red, sore thumb in fact!!

I was on my way to the office this morning. I was grateful that this auto driver had condescended to take me to Richmond road sans the daily dose of haggling.Suddenly there is a screech...peace breaks.I look out and find that another auto on the left is all poised to cut this one and turn right. This this one wants to go straight. Both break, both vroom, both gear up to go first...and neither one is able to make progress. I see the two drivers glaring at each other like gladiators in mortal combat.Finally the one on the left relents and our hero moves forward. Next, we reach a busy stretch where everyone seems to be moving at snail pace and in multiple rows. Suddenly hero decides he wants to increase pace, veers right and vrooms...he nearly knocks off this poor fellow on the bike. The bike rider regains balance, turns towards him with a 'look what you did' gesture. Hero asks, "Iga en aayuthu?". Now the rider is angry, he parks his bike in the middle of the road and demands an apology. Hero is non chalant, "En aayuthu?" he repeats and drives on. In short, he is willing to respond only if something had happened. At the least the biker should've fallen and broken his nose!

A few months ago, a young lady , working in the wee hour shifts of a BPO was brutally slaughtered. A cabbie, in logistics contract with her company, had picked her up, raped her and murdered her. The company resisted taking responsibility because they had outsourced logistics. The transportation company said the acute shortage of drivers made it impossible for them to do a detailed background check of all the people they employed. Suddenly everybody reared up, the BPO employees took up arms, the police went into rapid action, the companies spruced up their logistics department...But, what about that young girl, who had to die a horrible death to wake us up from the ' Iga en aayuthu?'mindset.

Last October the city reeled under a deluge. The torrential monsoons revealed gaping holes in the infrastructure. Suddenly the government wakes up and declares desilting of drains programs, demolition of unauthorised buildings that block the natural water canals, widening of roads, new fly overs...the works! We needed to be inundated by sewarage to realise the city could take it no more! 'En aayuthu?' requires a 'Doomsday' situation to wake up.

It's time to go home. Another painful, bumpy ride to take. And, a lot more 'En aayuthu' to witness...life goes on!