Mom, I will be late

One of the biggest payoffs of journalism is that it takes you to places where you wouldn’t go otherwise. And a bigger payoff is people’s (especially your parent’s) reaction when you tell them about it. Here’s an example:

Time: 11 PM
Venue: Goregoan Exhibition Centre

Me (on phone): Mom, I will be late.
Mom: How late?
Me: Maybe 1.30 or perhaps even two in the night
Mom: Why?
Me: On an assignment
Mom: Where?
Me: Goregoan
Mom: For what?
Me: A jaagran
Mom: WHATT????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Me: Yea
Mom: What jaagran? Whose jaagran?
Me: Radhe Guru Maa’s jaagran
Mom: HUH???? And who sent you there?
Me: Boss
Mom: Your BOSS has sent you to a JAAGRAN???
Me: Yea
Mom: *Hangs up*

Trust me, had mom not heard the bhajans playing the background, she would have never believed that I was telling the truth.