Avoid gossiping about people; if you gossip with someone then someone will definitely gossip about you
Maria Khushk | Hyderabad
Sania was a school teacher, who loves to gossip rather than teaching. She usually interfered in people’s private lives instead of discussing social issues even during free time chat with colleagues. As no-one in school liked her such habits, they started ignoring her.
One day, as the Aliya bumped Sania in the canteen, she held Aliya’s arm tightly and asked her for a cup of tea before Aliya could explain something or make an excuse, and settled down at a table. She ordered two cups of tea.
“Do you know Ahmed and Nadia are separated?” Sania started gossiping without greeting or asking anything about Aliya. Nadia was a very nice and polite woman and one of their colleagues. Her husband was a manager in a private company.
“How do you know that?” Aliya asked curiously.
“Whenever I asked her, where is your husband, she replied that he went to another city for a business meeting,” Sania said.
“Then how did you assume that they are separated? I met him yesterday, but I didn’t feel anything like that,” Aliya said.
“Where did you meet him?”
“I met him at my organization and he appeared with a lady.”
“Lady? How old was she? Sania inquired in a bid to get more details.
Aliya realized her mistake. “Why did I give her information about a lady, why wouldn’t I cut my tongue off before telling her my meeting” – Aliya murmured herself and was upset of her slip of tongue.
“Look Sania, I didn’t ask her birth date. And please stop interpreting negatively about people until you know them well enough.”
But Sania went on asking ignoring Aliya’s argument, “Was she in make-up?”
“Was she in mid-thirties or twenties?” Sania continued.
“Why are you thinking negatively? Don’t you go out with male collogues for seminars, picnic or one-dish parties?” Aliya said.
Sania again put a question changing the subject, “Do you know Kamla?”
Aliya seemed completely fed up of Sania’s gossips. “Sorry Sania, I have to go to conduct my class.” She lied and got up from chair.
“In which class and room number?”
“First year”
“It’s white lie and good try, but you have forgotten that they went for a picnic with sir Imtaiz,” Sania said.
Aliya sat down again disappointedly.
“Yes, I was talking about Ms. Kamla. She is too rich and doesn’t like to donate a single rupee, how shameful it is,” Sania remarked.
“Kamla was rich and a philanthropist too. She usually did charity and helped the poor but didn’t like to mention her name. Many times she donated for my organization and requested to keep it anonymous and we respected her and her way of donating,” Aliya thought remembering the generosity of Ms. Kamla, and asked Sania, “Why are you so judgmental? Why are you judging a book by its cover?”
“You don’t know about anything,” Sania said by making her face.
Soon the bell started ringing and Aliya felt relaxed for getting a chance to leave the place. “I have a class now and I just want to say, don’t be judgmental.”
Aliya’s sentence was not yet completed when Ms. Kamla appeared there, whom she was gossiping about. Sania rushed towards her without saying good bye to Aliya.
Aliya was sure she would gossip about her as she got a new subject to gossip rather than discussion.
Moral: Avoid gossiping about people; if you gossip with someone then someone will definitely gossip about you. It is a process to run and run and will never stop until you cut it off from its root. Discuss the other matters and important issues to increase one’s knowledge and share your ideas and opinions rather than a bad habit of gossiping, as nobody would like you, and would avoid meeting you.
____________
Maria Khushk is a freelance writer based in Hyderabad Sindh. She is author of a book titled ‘‘The Cage of Innocence’. She also contributes articles and stories to Sindh Courier.
