An earthworm

I had the privilege of spending time with noted satirist Harishankar Parsai in Jabalpur for years in early eighties. I am also fortunate enough to have read his oeuvre contained in his six volumes.
A few comments on my posts reminded me of one of Parsai’s great stories- Thanda Sharif Aadami—(“A cold gentleman”) .
Parsai’s inimitable style is impossible to translate in English. Yet, I am just trying to give a sketch of the story.
Two acquaintances are talking about a man who died on the day. One is describing to the other how gentleman the dead was. The virtues of the dead were many, the describer recalled. To begin with, he ( the dead man) was loathe to criticizing any body; would come straight from office to home ; shunned political talks; had no ideology; never got entangled in any ‘Lafda’ on road whether it was related an accident or a quarrel or any thing; mortally feared police; kept his eyes low; worshipped gods and goddesses demonstrably; obeyed the bosses and people of higher status without questioning.
In all, he was a gentleman who ought to have lived longer, the first man opines to the other with a tinge of sadness in his voice.
Parsai narrated the story in first person. In the story he was the man listening the virtues of the dead.
Now see beauty of the conclusion of the story. When the dead gentleman’s qualities were being described to him, the writer had an irresistible itch on his leg. He felt some slimy insect was creeping on the leg.
When the friend seeks reaction of the writer about the dead gentleman, the writer suddenly flings his leg. “ Kya Tha ? (What was that?), the man wonders.
“ Kenchua Tha”. (It was an earthworm).
No prize for guessing whom the writer described an earthworm.
I certainly don’t want to become a cold gentleman, an earthworm. Hence the blog. Hence the posts.