Social Transition

Today I had the opportunity to witness the birth-pains of a transition. A social transition. The first steps of a village man in the new city.
I had to take a friend's mobile phone to the service center to get it repaired. Apparently sony ericsson is not a good phone to buy, especially if it's the expensive kind. Their service centre is pretty busy, even at closing hours!
As I was standing in line, a young woman in her late teens came over to one of the service guys and started taking it out on him. Apparently, he had not been courteous enough to her or something, but she was really bringing the roof down. While she was doing so, the object of the ranting was grinning from ear to ear, infuriating the girl even more. The manager of the place tried to apologise for his junior, but the rascal simply couldn't resist grinning.
The girl (who seemed to know something about what she was talking about) shouted threats to close down the shop, and to go to consumer court, etc.,
Later on, after the storm settled and the girls disappeared from the area, the manager, who was a soft-spoken man himself told the rascal to get down.
Translated:
Manager: "Arrey yaar, what is it with you? Why can't you just say sorry? Even if it's not your fault, all you need to do is say sorry, and they leave peacefully."
Rascal: "What do you mean? First of all she's a girl and she shouldn't be talking like that. And It's as though it was my fault. Why should I say sorry?"
Random Customer: "Yeah... girls shouldn't be talking like this... What did he do wrong?"
Manager: (Obviously pissed a third person is messing up with his scolding) "We try to run a business here. A quick apology makes the problem go away, and we can get on with our work. Arguments just waste everyone's time"
Rascal: (trying to rally in the customer's sympathy) "She actually lives in a Juggi in Uttam Nagar, Why should I listen to her?"
Manager at this time gave up hope and decided to take a break.

Rascal seemed to be quite stubborn with his ideals. But, thankfully, his success in the industry he works in largely depends on his attitudes to his customers irrespective of their culture, background, etc. It won't be long before he understands that his livelihood depends on customers like the irate young girl, and that it would do him more good to actually treat the girl, in spite of her ignorance, with respect.
He will also realize that taking the support of busybody customers just to prove his point won't get him anywhere in life. And that the ways of the village and terms like 'izzat' and pride don't really make sense in the city. Thus he makes his first steps into a new culture where things are different. They are hard for poor rascal, but they're the values of the city, and they will keep him alive.
The sad thing about this however, is that Rascal will only embody these values to earn his daily bread, and that's about it. If only he is able to take it a step further and treat undeserving people with respect just because he has been treated with respect in spite of himself.