Carpenter on an electronic leash!

India is really witnessing a booming market for many goods, mobile phones could easily be the front runner in this race for a share of the consumer's wallet. I remember when a journalist had visited Australia and shared in a meeting about the new mobile connections in a month to be in the region of 30 lakhs, it left the audience dumbstruck with disbelief.They did want to clarify politely if he was not mistaking annual figure for a monthly figure.The businessmen among them immediately showed such a keen interest to do business with India, that many of them mentally tuned off from the meeting, and busy planning their visit to 'the happening place'.
It is an old joke, that the paan wallah and the doodh wallah are sporting mobiles and talking animatedly.It is also said that India uses the maximum voice content in a mobile connection, compared to any other country in the world; nobody can blame us for keeping silent when we need to say a word; or stop with a word when we need to complete a sentence.The spread of mobile has been so rapid and so dizzy and so widespread, that prices of the instrument and cost of calls has fallen drastically. My driver tells me that he fills in a prepaid card for 200 rupees at the beginning of the month and he is able to manage with that for a month and a half; i should know because in the half an hour drive to work he manages to get atleast two to three calls, though he does not make any while driving.It is believed that a simple model is being contemplated which will be available for a ridiculously low price;you can programme it to be able to make calls to only select 10 numbers; it has been established that a majority of customers use the connection to talk to a select few, not exceeding 8!
I was surprised when i saw a mobile instrument in the house the other day which was not ours.Athai said the maid has brought it.Her brother who works in a pharmacy has been provided with that facility by his owner.But then i did not see her using it.
So I had a double surprise in store for me last night, when the carpenter came with his workmen to deliver some furniture. While they were busy fitting it in, one of the workmen got a call on his mobile. It was not a business call, but from his wife who was enquiring when he will come home!I thought it was a typical middle class anxiety!It also showed that she has access to a phone, might be their own, or a public telephone.He was telling her not to worry, he will be getting back in less than half an hour!
I was reminded of the time many years back when kumar was provided a mobile by his office. He used to not carry it with him many a time, or while in office, leave it in his desk and move around.He would not look periodically for missed calls, not to talk of messages received.So when i used to tell him that i was trying to reach him, he used to say he feels like he is on an 'electronic leash' and feels constrained!
The electronic leash it appears over the years has travelled across the social spectrum!!