Have you ever tried to keep a count of the number of questions that are fired on you everyday? Youll be surprised to realise the potential of people to dig out questions concerning (and sometimes not concerning) you, and the commendable strength of our ears to face them all with courage and patience!

It is the ninth day of the eleventh month of the 2007th year after the death of Christ and the day when the worlds largest democracy was celebrating the anniversary of the return of Lord Rama to his homeland, Ayodhaya. The Big celebrations were, although, scheduled for the evening (as always), the BIG day began early that day!

So, as you get up an hour in advance of your normal, scheduled waking-up time, the first sawal is shot your way: Uth gayi? (No I have actually decided to do a little sleep walk on this special occasion.)

Even before your eyes have completely got rid of the wonderful nights wonderful dream, you are awakened to your own reality: Aaj kya ho gaya? Aaj badi jaldi uth gayi?(Actually, my sleep had some urgent work in the morning, so it left me early today.)

As you begin with your everyday routine, some more everyday questions pop up from everywhere, Have you freshened up? What will you have for breakfast? When are you going to take a bath? Along with some not-so-everyday sawal, Will you come along to Sheela Auntys place with me? Have you sent your evening dress for ironing? Will you please put the Diyas

Just as you think you are through with all the morning chores and you sit back on the living room couch to check up what the scores of competing channels have on offer, some more sawals churn out of nowhere, Why are you watching TV early in the morning? Dont you know its Diwali? Will you not help me out with the Pooja preparations? Do you know we are expecting many guests today! Will you also please clean up your room and the drawing room?

So, you see sawals can be moulded into various forms they can be scoldings, they can be orders, and they can be time-pass too:

This usually happens when your doorbell rings, a dozen relatives pour in that you do recognise, only you cant place their exact relation with you

How are you? How is everyone else at home? How is your work going? Now may I ask one sawal to you: Have answers to these three questions ever changed in the history of communication?

Then there are some ice breaker sawals that you shoot when you are introduced to someone you are supposed to talk to. Like your Chachis brothers son (You know why you have been introduced to him), So, what are your hobbies? What movies do you like? and the worst of the lot, Which is your favourite colour?

Skipping many more during the day, lets take a glance at some of the closing sawals of the day, Khana theek se kha liya? Aur kuch khaogi? Kal kitni baje jana hai? So Gayi? Abhi tak soyi nehi?Kitni baje sogi

It is amazing how we carry forward this custom of asking sawals generation after generation. How we observe and learn, and then begin asking the same sawals that we have been exposed to time and again, year after year. Those simple sawals, which are pretty difficult to answer!