I am so sorry, I am late!

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I got invited to a birthday party. The time read 7:00pm, 10th November 2017.

Notorious for being on time, I thought to caution them well in advance…. you see, just in case they are in the shower when I arrive. ;)

Dear Host,

“Thank you for the invitation. Dhruv is turning five, and we would love to be part of the celebrations. I thought it would be good to let you know that I will come at 7:00 pm as stated on the invitation card. Maybe five minutes before. Kindly put that Tandoori chicken (which would be marinating) in the oven. Move your butt and dress your child. It is not great to see the birthday boy running around naked, swinging his underwear. Try to set up the place and yourself, because I am going to be on time. Do not for a moment think that I am anywhere close to Indiangiri or the Indian standard time. You see, if you want me to come at 7:30 pm, please write it so. I cannot assume by some magical power that you wrote 7:00 pm and meant 8. See you guys soon. I love tandoori chicken, and god bless Dhruv.”

Coming to the point, I quite find it funny when people boast about a bad habit in a way which shows that it is the best habit to have in this big wide world. What am I talking about?

“We are Indians, you know…we will arrive at our ISD. Haha.” Heard this before? Uttered it yourself? 


Stop that grin, that laugh, that casualness. Tear that label (ISD)that you wear with so much pride and boast around. Catch hold of that careless, apathetic, lazy, unconcerned, irresponsible soul and puree him/her, who created the equation-  Appointment at 9:00 am+ 30 minutes or more to Indiangiri= INDIAN STANDARD TIME.

Circumstances do arise, and it won’t always be possible to be on time. If you are going to be late for an appointment, call as soon as you know you will be late. This allows others to plan their schedules accordingly.

Being late due to Indiangiri is unprofessional, insensitive, and uncaring. It just shows two things-

·       You do not know how to manage your time.

·       You do not care about other’s time.


Either way, you do not deserve a crown or applause for being so.

If you cannot make it to a meeting, official or friendly, say a NO.

If you choose to meet someone, official or friendly, learn to be on time.


Nobody takes offense over a five-minute delay. To intentionally give yourself the luxury of extra 20 minutes, 30 minutes beyond the decided time, is plain SELFISH. The Indiangiri has seeped into our DNA so much that to see a guest on time is surprising for many hosts. Their tandoori chicken is basking under the pleasure of yogurt and spices, the birthday cake is on the way, and the birthday boy is playing with his underwear. You see, it’s not just the guest but also the host who believes- “Write 7 pm in the invitation. Anyways, everyone will come by 8.”


“No, I will not come by 8. Expect me by 7:05."

Being late is not INDIAN. It’s INDIANGIRI for sure and trust, while INDIANGIRI has a YO feel to it, it serves no good purpose.


I find myself on many occasion, dressed up to impress, food ready to be served, living room touched and decorated, my child well instructed for good behavior, husband taught to smile more often and guess what ………………………………we are WAITINGGGGGGGG. What makes a 7:00 pm become 7:30 pm? To think that 30 minutes make no difference to the life of the host or the guest is to undermine the value of time itself. Office goers have their own industry standards and workplace culture to guide them. To the rest of us, WE ARE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF KILLING TIME, EITHER.

What is fun in being late and saying, “I am so sorry, I got late.” Your sorry is not genuine, neither do you intend to be on time for the next visit. Consistently done, it brands you as unreliable and indolent. By any chance, if you are trying to prove that PUNCTUALITY IS A VIRTUE OF THE BORED AND UNOCCUPIED, that YOU ARE EMPLOYED and OVERLOADED with world problems for which only you have the solution, then let me pass on a piece of somebody else’s mind.

You have enough time for anything in the world, so long it ranks high enough among your priorities.


Brand yourself better- CHOOSE TO BE ON TIME. If late, please don’t curse the TRAFFIC. Come up with a better excuse. We know traffic exists; we all know. You know it too. 

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