So when are we doing Shaadi?

I am in simla – basking in the glory of utter laziness and getting pampered like a spoilt little princess – but I do deserve all of that and more after surviving Mumbai for so long. Surviving Mumbai is a task, yes it is. Not for people who come to visit and fall in love with the sea, or who come for a few months and start liking the space the city gives a person to just be. But for people like me, who are at the verge of completing a year in the city, it is nothing less than surviving. And no, I wouldn’t be stationed at Crib Central right now, if I hadn’t spent a glorious week at Delhi and then made my way to the hills, the homefood, the electric blanket I sleep in, the colourful socks I wear and the absolutely-no-care-in-the-world-sleeps I get. Well, yes parents always bring with them, a dose of nagging, bugging, poking – but that is permissible and ignorable for all the luxuries I get to dip myself into.

Delhi was expectedly a lot and a LOT of fun. Pix took 4 days off – we slept, talked, smoked, shopped, drove, sang, ate and did all things fine and dandy. Janpath and Le Café, hilarious drive to JNU, more Le café with Bangers and Mash, Café Turtle, face packs and exchanging the latest books and films, sleeping at 4 after sooo many games on PS2, meeting my kid brother, and my adopted brother and Ktik and the Petite one, surprise morning visit from Pinks, having isabgol to clear the confused tummy, meeting Adi, Deb and You-de, making ever failing plans with the infamous painter, soaking in every bit of Delhi that I love and crave for when I’m away! Ah, it was all glorious, so glorious!

Nimpipi came to meet – warm hug, my attempts to give warmer, tighter hugs and then the laughing fit in her car that went Ghhhhhhhooooooeeeeee at every red light. But the noise and all was totally worth it for the drive with her on that sparkly highway and the kaddu ka bharta at her house (no, I am not being sarcastic – I am a veggie lover – so much so that the thought of bhindi, karela, kaddu, baingan, lettuce and all those greens excite me more than any chicken, crabs, prawns or muttons of the world) – so yes, back to the delicious bharta that bahadur served us with garma-garam phulke and the last bits of which I happily wiped clean from that white china plate that I always have nightmares of dropping and crashing one day – and there was daal too, and 2 more subzis and the dahi she assumed that I would take without being told – it was a yummy meal. Aunty talked in the background – I didn’t get much of the context in which it was being said but I caught on some words enough to know that she had had an eventful day. Nimpipi’s room is lovely – the DLF bitch as I fondly call her – has a spectacular view from her 15th floor apartment – and then she gave me a pair of very sexy beige boots – and my day was almost made perfect. *blows kisses to Nimpipi*

Oh and one pattern that I noticed in all my visits to all my friends homes – the moms always asked me “so when are you doing shaadi”, “beta, koi ladka mila?”, “tumhare parents dhoond rahe hai? Iske liye bhi koi suggest karo”!
Oh my godly god goddd – same story everywhere – just because I hit 24 doesn’t mean that I have to keep telling people that “shaadi toh ho jaayegi aunty!” – How come noone asks about my job, my prospects, what music I listen to, what cuisine I enjoy? Isn’t that more important? And wouldn’t that make me less queasy? But I think I have quite perfected the art of evading the topic, or laughing it off. It’s just amazing how everything suddenly revolves around shaadi-marriage-vivah-mangni-wedding-byah – and all other names they give this relationship!
Maybe my problem is also that for everyone else it seems like such a BIG deal but I view marriage very lightly– it’s not a fairy tale romance or a movie with the sunset ending that signifies a happily ever after– its life – mundane-get-to-know-each-other-learn-to-love-each-other kinda life. Prove me wrong if you must. I will only be too happy.

I sound so pessimistic. This post is depressing me. And I am on vacation. I should have written about something happier – like green-grass-blue-sky kinda happy or the kick I got out of finishing the entire pack of Sour Punk yesterday or the fact that I took a friend out for driving today and she almost died of a heart attack! Heh! The day was good! It's all good. Or we will make it good – wont we friends? Prove me right. I will be most happy.

Later then. I must snuggle back into my toasty electric blanket. Mmm.


P.S.- Looking for a job in writing in Delhi. Comments, suggestions and contacts are needed and most welcome.