Trip to Southall - Meeting a Muslim Man (FINAL Part)

So, I eventually got on this bus. I had to stand up because there was no space to sit down. After a while there were some seats free at the end of the bus. Chalo, I sat down. A few stops later I noticed some old people and a few aunty jis coming on board, so I thought I might as well stand up and offer seat to the aunties and elderly people.

While I was standing up I noticed an old Singh staring at me. He was sitting at the back of the bus. He had a trimmed white beard (it wasn't neatly cut, so I assumed he was from Panjab) and also his pagh (turban) looked a bit pinddoo style (not that there's anything wrong with pinddoo style paghs. lol). A few stops later he stands up and stands next to me near the door of ths bus.

I looked at him smiled (I usually say "Fateh" to every Singh or Panjabi-looking person I see, but usually I don't get a response back so I just smile and if there's a response then I say "Fateh"). The elderly Singh said to me, "Bhai Sahib, have you recently arrived from Panjab?" I said, "I was born here." However, either he was hard of hearing or he just assumed I was a freshie pretending to be born in this country.

I said two or three times that I was born and brought up in this country, but I don't think he was convinced by looking at my Kurta Pyjama and the hazooria around my neck. Chalo! The elderly man said, "Bhai Sahib, you must be from India. I knew it when I saw you outside, trying to get on the bus... You are probably used to buses in Panjab, but son, in this country there is a different system. British buses are different."

I was thinking Rab Bhalla Kare!! Considering I had to try to explain to the Baba jee that I am from Britain but he didn't believe me, so I thought might as well keep quiet and go along with what's happening. He continued to say, "You tried to get on the bus, but I don't think you knew that in this country you can only get on the bus at a bus stop. Under no circumstance will the bus driver stop and let passengers get on other than at the bus stop." O my God! It was so funny! I just said "han jee... han jee... jaroor... okay... hanji" lol.

Then Baba jee started saying to me, "Where are you going?" I said "Southall. I am going to Park Avenue Gurdwara Sahib." He said, I was thinking I have been there a hundred times!! However baba jee was very friendly and so said,"Do you need help getting there... Don't worry son I will tell you when to get off the bus." He started explaining how to get to the Gurdwara. I didn't have the heart to tell Baba jee that I knew how to get to the Gurdwara because I come to Southall nearly every week. Chalo I listened and said "thanks" to him (obviously not in English but in Panjabi!).

So I got off and walked to the Gurdwara from Broadway. An interesting journey I must say!