Giving Indian Friend Bhutanese Name

“What is your national language?’’ Anshuman enquired me. We were on the terrace looking down on the road where bridegroom was riding on elephants towards bride’s house.

“Dzongkha,’’ I replied curtly. I was just fed up of his noisy and nosy ways of asking and doing things. “Is Dzongkha Chinese?’’ what a foolish question! ‘No, it is different,’ I answered.

‘Do Bhutanese know martial arts?’ he queried. ‘Yes, even three years old know ABC of arts,’ I lied outright. ‘Is Bruce Lee Bhutanese?’’ again he posed the question. I was tempted to lie but I didn’t. ‘No,’’ said I snidely.

Amidst much fanfare, Bridegroom walked royally into bride’s house. ‘Acha, how marriage in your country is solemnized?’ he posed another question with intense curiosity. Am I giving interview! Or am I in Larry King Live! But his question was harmless and honest as any one asked to new person. ‘Greater fanfare than this,’’ I lied again. I didn’t want him to think inferiorly of my country.

There were many vehicle parked in line near bride’s house. The car for bride and bridegroom was decorated Mercedes. Looking at Vehicle, he asked again. It really irritated me but he didn’t seem to notice. ‘Acha yai batao, what vehicle you used in Bhutan?’ ‘We used Joktang Gari (Potato Vehicle)’ I shot without thinking twice. He seemed surprised.

‘I heard, Bhutanese doesn’t produce car,’ he wanted to know.

‘We do. Infact it is more expensive than Mercedes,’ I kept on lying.Frankly, I have to admit that I began to like what I was lying.

“So, you used Joktaaang Gaari in wedding too or any more special vehicle?’’

“In marriage, we used helicopter called Kharshing Namdru (wooden plane). We used two plane which fitted only one passenger besides pilot and fly it parrellel to each other when bride is taken too bridegroom’s home,’’ I said and excused out of his company. I didn’t want to lie again but I was fed up being treated as if we came from some sort of alien planet for a week.

“Suno Dorji, give me a best name you can think of in your language?’’ I turned around and studied his being. He looked at me expectantly. I smiled ironically at him as I baptized him with Bhutanese name. “Ola Nagchen Dorji,’’ I gave him as I walked out before he could asked about meaning of his name.

Well, some of you may wonder why I put Nagchen as middle name, it is because I am fit to be called Ola Dorji(Crow Dorji) but he was double the shade of my body colour.