An Experiment

I speak quite loud, I think. I mean, if I speak on the phone, every one around me can hear. I have never been embarrassed of the fact.

Recently, with our office shifting to this new place, I have some colleagues in the same work pool as me. In the old office, I had known them at nodding distance when we passed each other in the corridor. But here, I get to see them up close and also talk with them.

One colleague has me intrigued. For, she talks in whispers on the phone. I wonder how she is able to do it. After a few days of observing this, I thought, perhaps, I could try that too. It seemed a good idea, at least then it did, to ape her and speak softly.

In the best of times, my voice can wake a sleeping dragon and in the worst, well, let’s not get there now. But I wanted to experiment.

My Bacha and I talk to each other several times a day. We discuss our plans for the day on the phone when we travel to work. Once we reach our respective offices, we catch up on chat. However, the day I decided to try out the experiment, I had reached office when Bacha called.

My resolve to start the experiment was just being put into practice. I had hardly finished speaking in a `soft’ tone to someone, who asked me after saying hello thrice, “Are you not well? You don't sound right.” Of course, I did not tell her I was trying to be soft spoken. Fortunately for me, the caller hung up soon after.

The next call was from my Bacha. I went into the soft mode. “Hello Ma,” she said. “Hiee Bacha,” I intoned softly. A pause and then Bacha said, “Hello?” I replied, “Yes Bacha,” softly again. “What's wrong? I can hardly hear you,” she said. I said, “I can hear you. Where are you, child?” She went, “Huh? What are you saying, Ma?” I said, “Hold the phone right Bacha. I can hear you.” She tried doing that I think and then said, “Ok, now say. Where are you?” I said, “In the office.” It was then that it struck her that there was something wrong with the tone. “Why are you whispering like this,” she asked. I said, “You know Bacha, I am trying to see whether I can speak softly on the phone.” Bacha was irritated. “Huh?” “I am trying to speak softly. Can you hear me?” Bacha was furious by then. “What is wrong with you? Why are you speaking like this?” I mentioned the colleague who speaks softly that I hear no sound in spite of being seated just a few steps away. I said I thought that was remarkable.

“I don’t want to talk with you if you speak like this, Ma,” Bacha said. “I hardly feel I am talking to the same person. You call me when you get back to your old self.” I came back to the old mode in lightning speed and said, “Now, don’t hang up. Say child.” Bacha said, “Finally! Can we get to talking now Ma?” Of course, of course, I repeated some decibels higher than the ones I use.

The matter was not over. Bacha came home a week later and mentioned this to Ponnu, who looked at me in surprise. “Why would you try to be someone you are not, Ma?” “Oh,” I said, “I was just trying to see whether I could speak softly. Not trying to be someone else, you know.” Bacha and Ponnu pounced on me. “You don’t get soft-toned on us. We will disown you.”

So much for an experiment. I am back to my usual tone.