Fictitious Conversation

This is a fictional conversation which doesn’t need telling. People are named like Mahdi, Maryam, Faiz or Alex, or even Kumbatata (probably, in African countries) but certainly not like Mr Trusting and Mr Suspicious. This is, once again, just a conversation I dreamt, last night.

The conversation went like this, or this is what I remembered when I woke up.

Mr. Trusting and Mr. Suspicious are two gentlemen, who are known to each other without being too close. Somehow, I suspect, Mr. Suspicious didn’t want it. Mr. Trusting is more of a happy go lucky type of chap.

Mr. Trusting: oi mate, good morning.

Mr. Suspicious: Morning Mr. Trusting

Mr. Trusting: How have you been?

Mr. Suspicious: me great mate, you?

Mr. Trusting: Can't complain. Tell me how was your day.

Mr. Suspicious: (slowly drawing guard) well, it was just another day.

Mr. Trusting: Uhu, how is...err...what was her name....Victoria?

Mr. Suspicious: (wondering whether Mr. Trusting knows that they are not together anymore) she is good. Thank you.

(Awkward silence as Mr. Suspicious is not committing anything and Mr. Trusting doesn’t know how to press on)

Mr. Trusting: (after a prolonged pause) Look how beautiful the west looks. (referring to the red sky just after sunset).

Mr. Suspicious watches it grimly. Sighs. Now speaking hurriedly

Mr. Suspicious: tell me one thing mate, who told you that is west?

Mr. Trusting: (visibly taken aback) well..ha ha (laughs somewhat forcefully) well, we all know that the sun sets in the west.

Mr. Suspicious: hmm. No mate. You think that is the west because we were taught to call it west. We don’t know if it is the west exactly. What if I want to name it North and everybody agrees to that.

Mr. Trusting: (completely perplexed) err, I guess, well, what's in a name, right? (laughs)

Mr. Suspicious: And yet, we must remember the name of the dramatist who said it.

Mr. Trusting: Uhu, never thought it like that.

Mr. Suspicious: Exactly. We keep on believing. Never question. That's how we are progressing.

Mr. Trusting: Err, should we question everything? (suddenly) are you a theist, mate?

Mr Suspicious: I am a what?

Mr. Trusting: A theist, do you believe in God?

Mr Suspicious: (carefully measuring his words) yes, I do.

Mr Trusting: Do you have any proof that he exists?

Mr Suspicious: (laughs) how else, do you think, everything is so organised? How can the universe be made without a maker?

Mr Trusting: But, could you prove his presence? I mean, you are assuming he is there because if you deny Him, you cant explain these. In other words, God is not a theorem which can be proven. He is more like a hypothesis, believe him and you can explain everything else. (breathes after speaking very fast.)

Mr Suspicious: Well Trusting, that's your way of putting things. I need not agree.

Mr Trusting: well, there I agree, You are free to disagree. (continues after a small pause) but mate, trust builds relationships. You have to agree there.

Mr. Suspicious: Can see what good trust is by the number of divorce applications. I say, why trust. Win trust. I ain't going to give it away.

Mr. Trusting: But, it is so subjective. Remember Aesop? If you don’t want to trust, nothing can make you trust.

Mr. Suspicious: Isn’t it better than to misplace the trust?

Mr. Trusting: But, not every trust is misplaced. I mean, if we don’t trust anyone, how will we know who is worthy of trusting and who is not? (speaks with vigour now as he remembers something) Look at my parents, they trusted each other, and it was an arranged marriage, they trusted blindly. Nothing could tear them apart.

Mr. Suspicious: And you? (knowing well Mr Trusting is facing a divorce case, filed by his wife.)

Mr. Trusting: (hesitantly)err, I misjudged.

Mr. Suspicious: see, that is what exactly I want to avoid.

Mr. Trusting is now completely clueless what to say. Mr. Suspicious looks satisfied, he has just argued and won against another too trusting idiot. Mr. Suspicious continues, the tone is somewhat sympathetic now.

Mr. Suspicious: look mate, I have nothing against you, we are good friends. You just don’t know what you are saying. Look at you, broken and ruined just because you trusted. Look at me, I don’t want to bloat, but see me, I am safe and happy because I don’t trust anybody or anything. Trusting means someone someday will misuse it.

Mr. Trusting: and not trusting means, you never know who just crossed you could have been the person who could have turned your life into heaven. There is no reward without a risk.

Mr. Suspicious: (back to the aloof tone after his valuable words are rejected and protested to) well then mate, do what you shall. Just don’t blame others for what happens to you. Guess you can never realise this truth. (sighs visibly)

Mr. Trusting: Guess what mate? I am happy. (stops Mr. Suspicious with a wave of hand as Mr. Suspicious was about to say something) and you know why I am happy? Because I don’t see the half glass empty. I drink the remaining half glass to the last drop. (again stops Mr. Suspicious) yes, I misplaced my trust. But guess what, I will do it again at the next opportunity. Only that way, and yes only and only in that way, I know I will find someone who will honour my trust. You, on the other hand, will remain in your guarded walls, and probably die with the regret that you couldn’t find someone who is worthy of your trust. But know it mate, you can never find them because when they pass you, you are too scared and suspicious of giving them a chance.

Mr. Suspicious: (fuming in anger now) Neither did I seek nor do I need your advice on what I should do. I wonder at your audacity though, a sore loser, who has nothing left to be proud of, teaching someone how to win things?

Mr. Trusting smiles.

Mr. Trusting: Good day mate. (Mr. Trusting whistles away)

Mr. Suspicious: Some idiots will die idiots. Why on earth do I waste my time with them?

(Mr. Suspicious drags himself away)