MISCOMMUNICATION

 

 

Communication is an indispensable part in our daily life. During childhood it is very simple - uttering something to draw attention of others for some reason, which different animals around also do. As a person grows, communication gradually becomes more and more complex. He adopts different forms of communication, to which almost all of us are aware. For some technical communication the person needs specialized training or skill. But for day to day normal activities it should be simple and understandable. Here I want to narrate an incident that took place just in my life.

Immediately after completion of my college education I got an interview from the Railways Service Commission, Patna for a job. I reached there by train early in the morning and came to the place of interview well in time. Many candidates from Bihar and the nearby states arrived there within the scheduled hours.

There, in a short spell of time I got acquainted with a candidate coming from Bhubaneswar. During that phase in my life I could speak English better. He was also fluent in English. Within a short while we developed friendship. As it was my first venture outside West Bengal, to some extent I was bit nervous. But coming in contact with him my nervousness too got reduced. We passed together the whole day, talking about many issues arising in course of our conversation, while walking, sitting in the campus or taking food. After our interview was over, we came back to the railway station together on foot. His train started first – so I bade him a warm good bye.

During the youth time my mind always used to be full of emotions. On coming back to my place I wrote a letter by Post Card to my new friend of Bhubaneswar. I concluded my letter with the sentence, “You have given me a precious gift, the gift of love. I can give you the assurance that you will always have a treasured place deep in my heart.” The sentence is still in my memory and not lost in the labyrinth of life.

Within a week I got an envelop containing a letter from my friend. Eagerly I did open it, but became speechless seeing the content. He straight way wrote, “My father has received your letter and read it. He has also narrated the content of your letter to my mother. I have never given you any gift of love – not anyone as a gift, whom you can love. I am very sorry that I have an acquaintance with a chap like you. My family is very angry with you, and you should understand my position. I request you not to write me any letter in future.”

Even then I sent him an Inland letter trying to explain him as to what I intended to mean by saying ‘a gift of love’. That he was my gift of love and none other. He easily made friendship with me and loved me like a true friend. But I did not get any reply. I waited for about one month and sent another letter but did not get any response either – that’s all.

I am not devoid of emotions even today. But I have realized one important thing that whenever we send a message to someone, it should be as effective as possible – the message should bear the same meaning both before the sender and the receiver.

As regard my case mentioned above, I like to term it as an effective miscommunication. So far my brain will function normally, I shall never forget the episode that took place following exactly my first service-interview.

 

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