Ami Jani Na

“Why do you want to enter Canada?” she glared at me.

She was powerfully dressed. Bullet proof vests, a baton, a gun holder and she walked heavily. I felt my mouth drying up.

“Sir, why do you want to come here? Give me your passport” she repeated.

“I, me, uhmmm no. yes I mean. Actually”, incomprehensible phrases flowed from me.

“We have a situation here. I need backup.” I heard her hiss into the microphone.

Red lights were flashing on the ceiling. Loud noise. Was it a siren? I closed my ears.  Two huge guys came and lifted me up.

“Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo……………………… please no………student from India. India. See my tshirt….…..”

“We are taking you to ……” the officer on my left said. He said some name. I couldn’t pick it up. My mind was going numb. What is happening to me? I can’t stay in a jail here.

“Nooo…..” I shouted again

“He will serve you right.” The other officer muttered.

Then I heard it.

“Tumi A-E-khane kano A-shcho? Tume gethe hoyto kore?”

“Enikkariyilla, ennonum cheyalle. (Malayalam: “I don’t know anything. Please don’t hurt me”) Ami Jani Na. South indian.”

“kim tao? Bondoy deportache. Visaoy?”

“Deport. NO….”

“amiche #$%^%@$#$%$ &^&%@ che…. Ah voy juy %^!$#@$66”

The ground beneath was vibrating. Then bright light filled the room.

“Kausalya supraja……” I pressed snooze on my mobile.

And my room neighbour continued his conversation home in rapid Bengali.

Whew.

PS: ami jani na = “I Don’t Know” in Bengali and this is the only Bengali every mechE from IITM knows thanks to our ME317 professor.