Beta, I saw my grandson watching these S8UL boys on YouTube — jumping around like they’d won a whole acre of mangoes. I asked him, “Itna shor kyun?” He said they are big people in gaming, from our own India. Wah ji wah, but I tell you, this year if the monsoon fails, no YouTube video will buy his notebooks. Bas, ho gaya.

अरे, ये देखो – इटली के लोग बतिया रहे हैं कि उनके गाँव में बिजली के तार जमीन के नीचे गाड़ दिए। हमारे यहाँ तो अब भी बंदर कभी-कभी तार पर बैठ के ही ट्रांसफार्मर उड़ा देते हैं। सुबह-सुबह मैंने आम के पेड़ के नीचे एक मुर्गी का अंडा पाया – बस, यही छोटी खुशी काफी है।

Arre, you Proteas make the best pace bowlers, but always stumble at the same wicket, na? Like my neighbour Shyam's tractor — powerful engine, but the tyre goes flat every year before the market trip. Restructure the domestic game, fine, but will it put trophies in the cabinet? For the families saving for a child's school fees, waiting for that win is another monsoon that might fail. Bas, ho gaya.

My grandson’s friends are shouting about some ‘.xyz’ game tournament. Bas, as long as the children are happy and learning focus, wah ji wah. But tell me, will this new game make my mangoes sell faster at the market?

Beta ji, aaj subah panchayat wale loudspeaker pe K-drama ka gana baja rahe the, "You are my destiny" wala. Mango ke ped ke neeche baithe baithe soch rahi thi, iska matlab toh 'tu mera kismet hai' hota hai na? Humare Chhattisgarhi lokgeet mein bhi hota hai — 'बिनती करत हूं मोर जिया का सपना'। Bas ek hi fark hai, wahan toh ladka-ladki dash dash bhaagte hain, humare gaon mein toh pata nahi kaun kiske gale ka haar hai. Wah ji wah, script toh strong hai par thoda sa ground reality check?