How Much is Bain-tiss?

Bain-tiss kitna hota hain? I asked the old man when he said the price for 1 kilo rice is bain-tiss. The whole conversation was in Hindi initially. I used all my fingers and flicked whether it is 33, 34, 35 or 45. He got a little pissed off unable to comprehend why I don't know ‘bain-tiss’ when I am able talk to him in Hindi.

At that very moment, all I wanted to do was to narrate my biography regarding my ignorance of Hindi, how I learned it and is still learning it. I also wanted to tell him that I always flunked in my Hindi papers, when I was in school. Time being precious for both of us, I never got the chance to explain my boring biography.

As my final attempt, I politely asked him “uncle bain-tiss English mein kitna hota hain?” This is when he lost his cool and barked back to me in English, “What language are you speaking?” As a counter move, I shot back in English “I was asking you how much is ‘bain-tiss’?” He replied “I don’t know English” in fluent English.

I feel a heat pumping up from within but, I did a good job in controlling at that very moment. I just commented “uncle you are talking to me in English and how can you say that you don’t know English?” He shot back, “I don’t know.” So, I left the shop saying “OK I’ll go to some shop who knows English.”

I have not gone to that shop again after this Hindi-English drama. But, I seriously want to go and apologize to the old man for the shouting that we unnecessarily exchanged. On second thought the whole thing happened for my ignorance of how much is ‘bain-tiss’ and his possible ignorance of how much is bain-tiss in English.

Gosh, ‘bain-tiss’ now makes me go farther to purchase things. This is the nearest shop from the place I am staying. To hell with ‘bain-tiss.’ By the way, how much is bain-tiss? 35, 34, 36 or something, I still need to know.