Of hugs and winks

Raju Korti

If hug changes the metabolism of a person, I do not know what happened to Rahul Gandhi's when he walked up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give him one during the no-confidence motion on Friday. But for someone who should make it to the record books for hugging as a symbol of  international diplomacy, I am sure it did something to Modi, having been at the receiving end himself. Rahul took the craft to the next level by following it with a wink at his party men.
While that looked like running with the hare and hunting with the hound, I have always believed that a hugs and winks are double-edged weapons. Having lived in a city where people, especially youngsters, hug each other at the drop of a hat; whatever the provocation, I am inclined to believe that hugs and winks have been shafted in society and people either tend to under-estimate or over-estimate them. And that makes them dicey gestures because the chemical reaction that results from both can be unpredictable.
In my 62 years of nothing-to-rave-about existence, I have realized that for many, hugging is a mere figure of speech. People who claim to love being hugged are often found to squirm when they get one. Winking is even more unpredictable. It can invite a genuine chuckle or a tight slap. Since discretion is better part of valor, I prefer the old-fashioned "Namaste" which is as safe as it can get. That sense of wisdom dawned on me when I was barely 14. I had hugged my aunt and she gave me such a scandalized look that thereafter I never summoned the courage to hug even those of my own gender. The safest thing to do is to allow yourself to be hugged than taking the liberty of doing it yourself.
I have never winked at anyone even in jest. In my college days, I had once blinked because a pebble had hit my eye and a pretty young thing around thought I was winking at her. Mercifully, it just ended with the lady giving me a dirty look and walking away. Once bitten always shy. Since then, my world of winking has remained restricted to sleeping. I often wonder if people winked in real life as much as they do in text messages this world would be really a creepy place. But I am prepared to make concession for a hug being better than a message.
Rahul proved that peace is only available to those who want it, and only possible to those who will hug their enemy to enjoy it. Little wonder then that Modi was stumped by Rahul's googly and could respond with an embarrassed smile and a pat on the latter's back. The lesson for Modi here is hug others before they hug you and wrest a diplomatic initiative. To be fair to Modi, he has done well for himself with all those bear hugs. The winks should come for free. The debate about the propriety of what Rahul did in the august house therefore should become redundant.
With due apologies to my lyricist friend Amit Khanna's song from Dev Anand's 1978 film:
"Hug to har dum, khushiyan ya gham".
There was Raj Kapoor who made "Jaagte Raho" in 1956. Some day in future I propose to make "Hug-te Raho". If you think the word has been used in dirty sense, you have a soiled mind.