Just a Word of Gujarati

Some friends and I had been to Calcutta (In the IIT Kharagpur – Kgp – lingo, we had been to Cal) and were returning to Kharagpur by train. There was a guy sitting next to me and as it usually happens, a conversation developed. Everyone was talking to everyone else. The guy next to me was multilingual and spoke fluent English, Hindi and Bangla. I tried to figure out what his mother tongue was but was unsuccessful. He could have been from anywhere in India.

Finally we reached Kharagpur and walked towards the two-wheeler stand and I asked him about his mother tongue. I was told that he was a Gujrati, born and brought up in Kgp. Being a businessman he knew all the mentioned languages.

As we were about to part, he on his scooter and I on my cycle, I gave him a cheery and confident “aaujo”. I don’t know if the transliteration is even correct, as I do not know the original correctly. However, it had the desired effect.

He stopped abruptly and asked me with excitement, “Are you a Gujju too?”

Alas, no but this is the only Gujju word I know…..