Diwali and Me, 2008

Diwali and Me, 2008

Happy Diwali to all of you!! I’ll be wearing a sari today and that is the highlight this year for me. Last year, Diwali was important because I had gotten a new haircut and a kurta from Biba, and the year before the highlight was the fact that I was making a rangoli. Bursting crackers has long since lost topmost position in my celebrations, although I’d like to clarify that I didn’t go much beyond phuljhadi, chakri, anaar, saanp, rang mashal and taar. Phew, I am shocked I know so many names…. :) Also, it’s been years since I wrote a nibandh/essay on Diwali. It used to be one of those nice, baby essays where I’d use long unpronounceable Hindi words and get the highest in class :)

Anyways, nowadays, Diwali means a very happy and busy day at home. I quite enjoy decorating our home, and later, myself. The day involves receiving messages/calls from kin and kind; I usually send them a day in advance to avoid the Diwali jammed networks! Also, messages aren’t free on holidays (Hey! At least I am honest :P).

So, coming back to where I started, I’ll be wearing a sari today. A traditional Bengali sari in silk, called Laar Paar Sada Sari, like the one in the song Dola Re. I had decided this almost a year ago, come on, I don’t get to wear a sari everyday :). Although my mom is not too excited about it, the reason being that dressing me up is quite an ordeal. I always feel, perfection cannot be improved :P. Actually, coming back to earth, wearing a sari is tough. And making me wear one, will be Mission almost Impossible. Almost because, I will not give up. A beautiful sari, a long photo session and lots of smugness await me :D.

Actually, I am really excited now, dressing up is quite an intoxicating affair, so I’ll update you later with the events of today and the success of Mission almost Impossible. Also, it’s 10:53 am and I haven’t taken a bath yet, much to my mom’s disapproval. So I’ll come back later. Hope you all have a very happy and safe Diwali or, lets say a Huha Diwali, I learnt this just now. :)

p.s.:-

1. Stay under the prescribed decibel level.

2. Try bursting only crackers. Atom bombs, nuclear bombs and the works are not for Diwali. They are not for any occasion actually. :P

3. Call me, do not wait for me to call you. ( meant for only those people with whom I speak on the phone)

4. If by any chance you happen to see me in my sari, do not hesitate to compliment me. I understand, such beauty is truly rare, and deserves its credit.

5. Have fun, take care. Have an awesome Diwali and a very prosperous new year.

Love Thyself, before thy neighbour

Here I am! Now what are your other two wishes?

This is usually what I think when I meet you. But don't worry, its not because I know you are lusting after me, it is because I have become increasingly narcissistic. And it is not a disorder. I mean look at it objectively; I’d love to be my friend if I were not me. I’d love to talk to me if I were somebody else. So, just because I am me, why should I resort to hypocrisy? I personally feel, everyone ought to be in love with oneself. I mean, seriously, if you don’t like yourself, who would?

It is not that I consider myself superior or inferior to anyone, it’s just that I like me. I like me on the whole, and this is the way I feel about most things in life. We should remember that everything is relative. What we should do is that instead of having a dynamic frame of reference in the form of other people, our frame of reference should be our own standards. The constancy of it, itself changing with change in ourselves.

I feel so strongly about it because I am constantly criticized or appraised for my opinions, but, rarely are they shared. And this made me think about the fact that, we shouldn’t really bother with other peoples convictions, and have the guts to make our own.

Narcissism is usually thought of as something sinful. its always,love others, live for others, why? why do we have to omit ourselves from our services. "I", why is the word so hated? Would the existence of anything matter if we were to lose ourselves?

Without delving further into this topic, because self-love cannot be preached, i'd like to come back to where i began. I love myself, just like you.


p.s.:- The text intends no offence to you, in case you are offended, better introspect. Have a nice life.

The Male Shopper

The Male Shopper

A truly rare species, yet most dangerous. Specializing in the art of slow, third degree torture, he might bore you to death, no matter how wonderful the mall. He tries clothes that you wouldn’t ever look at, and buys clothes which are bad and expensive. All this is bearable. The trick is to do all this in the long span of a week, and each outing lasting at least 2 hours. Have you seen the insides of a male clothing store? All the clothes look old and boring and they scream “lack of style” yet.. no matter how expensive they are… people buy them. Of course there is good stuff too, but our male shopper is allergic to good paisa vasool clothes. He likes looking weird. The salesmen are like the Spider, come to my home screaming types. You try on a rag and they make you Mr. Universe, do you realize, that Mr. Universe is never an Indian. Yet the male shopper buys it. But, the process takes 2x7 hours, and long arguments with mummy. I don`t understand why the people who augur the growth of this species, i.e, male clothing salesmen, don’t bother having some good clothes in their stock. Why can’t the store have female clothing as well so that we don’t suffer. Why do they have so many similar looking shirts. Men are cruel, they like and propagate bad clothing. Women are patient, mummy still lets Shanky shop. But I will take a stand, I will not accompany this dangerous species to any of his further torture sprees and I will buy a new dress. Because I buy good clothes.

For further references:
Shanky
Mickey

Dedicated to,
Shanky

Note: Mickey is yet to make me suffer.

Dreams and Reality...

The dream was always running ahead of me. To catch up, to live for a moment in unison with it, that was the miracle.

I recently had one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. Have you ever actually felt that your dream is even better in reality. A dream that could not be fulfilled. Generally it happens that you later on realise that what you missed isn’t as good as you had imagined it to be and you feel consoled. I felt the exact opposite, I saw that it was even more magnificent in reality and it felt really good that I got a chance to experience it. I sat alone waiting for my friend, looking at the building, at the three foot long letters, tears rolled down my cheeks but I was feeling so at peace then. It will be a moment I can never never forget. Its like those images which you capture on canvas or a camera, I sometimes wish I had one that day, but sometimes I feel it’s a day I want to store only in my mind. Any other place is not good enough.
Thank you, it wouldn’t have been possible and half as beautiful without you and thanks for the ride :)