From time to time, memories of the past come rushing back—when the ringing of a landline meant someone close was thinking of you, and the entire household would light up with joy. Then came the mobile phone, bringing the office into our homes, the world of social media, and with it a new nuisance: telemarketing calls.
Imagine sitting in an office meeting, only for some lady eagerly offering a loan to call you. When this started happening frequently, one day, I replied, “Sure, I need a loan, but with one condition—get your office to guarantee that I’ll never have to repay it.”
It’s not just at work; even home isn’t spared. Picture this: it’s Sunday morning, you’ve just woken up, leisurely sipping a cup of tea, when suddenly… triiiing. The phone rings. You think, “Maybe someone needs something urgent.” You pick up the call, and on the other end, a voice says, “Sir, would you like a credit card from our bank? There’s a special offer!”
Now tell me, is this any kind of good morning? Before you can even vent your frustration, another call comes in, “Hello, have you considered our insurance plan? We can secure your life with just one signature.” They talk about securing your life, but no one tells you when they’ll stop chasing you for it.
And just when you think you’ve found a moment of peace, the office number flashes on your screen. Guess who? It’s that same brilliant manager who believes that holidays, festivals, and weekends are the best times for work. As soon as you pick up, he says, “Hey, can you quickly send over that report? I was out with my kids, and suddenly remembered office work.” Now, who’s going to explain that maybe he should just relax at home for a change?
Some calls even send shivers down your spine. “Hello, I’m calling from the bank. Your account will be blocked unless you provide your details immediately.” For a moment, you freeze, thinking your account might actually get blocked. Then a friend tells you it’s a scam, and only then do you breathe a sigh of relief. The frequent news of “digital arrests” of my fellow senior citizens by scammers, looting their hard-earned money with deep fake tactics, sends chills through our spines!
If that weren’t enough, some calls come so often that you start feeling like a celebrity—morning to night, someone’s always there saying, “Sir, please talk to us, there’s a special offer only for you!” This will often be followed by some grand plan to sell you a luxury flat or car way beyond your means.
When faced with these calls, all you want to do is mute your phone and retreat to a peaceful mountain cave. Luckily, there’s an option to silence unknown numbers. You can always call back selectively if any calls seemed genuine.
Should you ever accidentally miss a call, friends and family start messaging, “Wow, busy these days, aren’t you?” Now it’s hard to decide—should you seek relief from friends, family, the manager, or these scam calls?
This is our digital era—more calls, fewer friends, less relaxation, more callbacks! So now I rely on my new mantra, “Om Ignoraya Namah” (I bow to the bliss of ignoring calls). Sure, I sometimes have to bear the complaints of friends and relatives, but they’re easier to explain to than these telemarketers and scammers, who survive solely thanks to our mobile phones.
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