Thursday, April 23, 2009

love isolates

i've been wondering hard and long. people often refer to it as pms and mood swings, but it's highly rewarding considering the revelations i make! and lately i've been thinking of the highly over rated phenomena called love. i'm not overtly cynical and i'm not calling grapes sour(as many often attribute it to) but all i'm saying is that the first flush of spring time love often makes people cocooned. all my friends who're in orkut's misnomed terminology are "committed" explain this as love being so satisfying that you need nothing more. 
as the well known song from 'dil apna aur preet parayi' goes:
mubarake tumhe ki tum
kisi ke noor ho gaye
kisi ke itne paas ho
ki sabse door ho gaye

the last few lines are what are i'm refering to. so obviously i'm not the only one to notice that it happens!
now as to what triggered is line of thought, was that i've been missing many of my friends. not in the physical absence way, but emotional way. the connect's been missing and often in the  most blatan t way. maybe it's jealousy. or maybe it's convention but why is it that ur social life though it's on a high when u're with someone, also depends competely around taht person's schedule? i can only imagine it be some extreme form of possessiveness on the part of the lover, but don't they miss some "me" time? 
i still wonder. maybe coz i'm the odd numbered one in parties and sitting alone in the canteen waiting for my friends' gf/bf's classes to begin! good lord!
ps: i still love my friends and i hold their 'loves' dear for all the (apparent)good they've done to them. but i miss my friends!

Saturday, April 04, 2009

Pepper spray




all and sundry claim delhi to be unsafe for women. all and sundry keep coming up with protection(read self defense) measures so back in time that one feels exposed in a sleeve-less shirt. the best option i liked was a pepper spray, not that i've tried one, but an option i knew i'd prefer after my taekwondo. so just this afternoon when i was delegated the job to look for one for a family member, i happily walked off to the market to get it. after all i wasn't looking for ammunition!
shop1: spencer's
me: i need pepper spray.
attendant: this was ma'am.
we walk to the condiments' aisle
attendant: ma'am, your pepper. 
i stare blankly
attendant: black pepper, powdered and balls(he said balls!)
me: i need pepper SPRAY
he goes to call his senior
senior: ma'am how do u use pepper spray?
me: for self defense
senior: huh?!
gapes at me...i walk off

shop2: chemist next door
me: i need pepper spray
chemist: kiriyane ki dukan aage hai
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shop3: chemist no2
me: i need pepper spray
clerk: cosmetics ki dukan aage hai
me: it's not a cosmetic
clerk: phir hamare pass nahi hai

shop4: cosmetics shop
me: i need pepper spray
he gapes and gapes and gapes uncomprehendingly. i walk on

shop5: chemist no3
me: i need pepper spray
clerk: cosmetics hum nahi rakhte
me: it's not a cosmetic
clerk: to kiriyana wale ke pass hoga
me: it's not edible
clerk: is it medicated? or theurapetic?
me: it's to immobilise jerks and for self defense.
by now my temper is high, patience low and sarcasm at it's peak
clerk: try archies' gallery

shop6: departmental store
me: i need pepper spray
dumb girl: ma'am party spray archies ya hallmark pe hoga
me: i need pepper spray
dumb girl: ma'am woh kya hota hai?
me: it's for self defense and protection
dumb girl: ma'am chemist pe pooch leejiye

shop7: chemist no4
me: i need pepper spray
attendant(to his collegues): arre koi pepper spray kharidne aaya hai!! kahan gayi woh?
people seem happy n scurry about to look for it.
attendant(suspiciously): ma'am 400-500 rupiye ki hai, aapko lena hai?
me: nahi khelna hai. obviously lena hai!! 
attendant: ma'am 399 ka hai!
me: arre wah! ek rupiya kam?
they pack it, i leave. 

and i heave a sigh of relief! i finally found 1 bottle of pepper spray. and considering i was looking in gulmohar park, hauz khas and kailash colony and people there are supposed to be informed. talk of women's emancipation!