Chaddies et al

Last month , we witnessed a unique form of protest - sending pink lingerie to Ram Sena founders and followers. I stood confused as i gazed at perfectly good lingerie sent to their offices being broadcasted on the TV. The lacy one caught my eye and it looked like a branded chaddi' to me. Probably Victoria secret, i mused ! For a second, i forgot about the incident which caused this sensational news.
Now , i belong to the class who cannot afford Victoria's Secret.Come to think of it, even if i could , I'm far too sensible to buy myself preposterously costly lingerie.
So, there, i saw on the TV, a dump of perfectly good lingerie- sexy ,lacey lingerie. Now the question is, did the men feel even slightly appalled at the sight of sexy lingerie? Did they scramble to rethink the vitriolic way in which they tried to uphold indian traditions ?
Something makes me think- it made no difference to them at all !In fact, i have a sneaky suspicion that they got a chance to hold lingerie right upto their noses and fantasize !
What did they do in return? To uphold their egos and masochism, they sent sarees in gaudier pink !
What did the women achieve by this symbolic protest ? Nothing !

I think the time tested formula of sending bangles would have atleast made them sheepish !
I think it works ! Tell a man who beats and tortures woman-" Coward, here, wear my bangles. kyon bahot mard bantey firta hai- aurtau par haath uthata hai !

hmm

I've been thinking .Arranged marriage thing is not going well for me.From about last 5 years I see all of 3-4 guys per year all because I was above 24.In my community a girl gets married by 24 and guys at 25-27 average. Anyway, I'm quite put off by the kind of guys 'matchmaking aunties ' [henceforth referred to as MA] show me. My height- all of 5ft 8" and dusky complexion is also terribly off -putting to 5ft 5" to 5ft 8" guys. That is the average height of Indian male !
Even after giving into the thought process of 'adjustment' and 'bare minimum expectations', I've failed to find a husband.
So i was thinking of giving up on it. The MAs and relatives glare,sympathize and ask me to be 'adjusting' by turns ! Sometimes its hilarious at other times I'm the proverbial joker who is made fun of ,pitied and underestimated.
I know I'm not alone on this jockeyed ,hackneyed ride- hell, most of the well educated ,working/not working,'sabhya and pramanik' women are punished for being single at 30.
The last guy I saw asked me in 20 different ways if i was going to give up on being career minded and happily settle down to be a devoted wife only. And i kept telling him in 20 different ways how i liked to be my own person and I quite could work for my satisfaction and be a devoted wife and mother.

Another guy wanted educated smart,english speaking [read: a girl like me] trophy wife who would willingly stay at home. He was 10th pass ! I have zillion gems like these about the guys from my community.They are blissfully esconced in their world however shamelessly want to tear the girl away from everything that she loves !
Many a times I was tempted to tell them exactly what i was thinking however i refrained as due respect for my parents.
The only option before me is to become sexily schizophrenic or unabashedly manipulative. I lack mental wiring for either !

Emosanal Atyachar

Tauba mere jalwe tauba mera pyar, paar chada tha mere emosanal atyachar ! I know this song is dedciated to the senti devdass' of the world but it is also for likes of me: emosanal,senti girl.
Senti hoti hoon toh itna key climate change ho jaati- mere charon taraf ka climate !Senti ke aage hai 'mental'- kuch jyaada hi chance ho jaate hai mere mental honey ka ! Aajkal'rah -sha nal' aur 'prahc-ti cal' honey ke liye training ley rahi hoon. Lekin doubtful hai ! Meri wiring main hi kuch gadbad hai !

Anyway doondh nikala yeh lyrics ko - kya song hai !

Yeh Dil Pighla Ke Saaz Bana Loon
Dhadkan Ko Awaz Bana Loon
Smoking Smoking Nikle Re Dhooan
Seene Mein Jalti Hai Armanon Ki Arthi
Arrey What To Tell You Darling Kya Hua
Arrey Sapne Dekhe Jannat Ke
Par Mitti Mein Mil Jaen
Phooken Re Ghar Baar Ki Duniya
Ko Bole Good Bye
Chad Jae Haye Allah
Jisko Bhi Yeh Bukhaar
Tauba Tera Jalwa, Tauba Tera Pyar
Tera Emosanal Attyachaar!
Tauba Tera Jalwa, Tauba Tera Pyar
Tera Emosanal Attyachaar!
Jao Jao Oh Dilbar, Oh Dilbar Ohh!
Tauba Tera Jalwa, Tauba Tera Pyar
Tera Emosanal Attyachaar!

Ho Gai Dil Ke Paar Tragedy Tragedy
Lut Gai Re Bahaar, Gul Sukh Sukh Murjhae
Ho Gai Dil Ke Paar Tragedy Tragedy
Lut Gai Re Bahaar, Gul Sukh Sukh Murjhae
Bol Bol Why Did You Ditch Me
Zindagi Bhi Lele Yaar Kill Me
Bol Bol Why Did You Ditch Me Whore
Bol Bol Why Did You Ditch Me
Zindagi Bhi Lele Yaar Kill Me
Jao Pia Jao Pia Jao Pia
Tauba Tera Jalwa, Tauba Tera Pyar
Tera Emosanal Attyachaar!
Tauba Tera Jalwa, Tauba Tera Pyar
Tera Emosanal Attyachaar!
Jao Jao Oh Dilbar, Oh Dilbar Ohh!
Tauba Tera Jalwa, Tauba Tera Pyar
Tera Emosanal Attyachaar!
(Tera Emosanal Attyachaar!) -

P.S: Courtesy : http://www.hindilyrix.com

Gharonda

Once again today that topic came and stood in front of me. My father had casually inquired of a broker about a flat in heart of cantonment- Pune camp where muslims,hindus, parsis and christians stay together and head towards one and the only Kayani bakery.Yes, in the same 'cosmopolitan' Camp,those building residents didn't want the flat to be sold to a Muslim.

Now ,I wish i could say this is the direct fallout of 'bad bad terrorist Muslims' but it isn't. Whenever i visited the old Pune city ,all i could see is Maharashtrians[Indian Hindus} in majority - the Peths[barring a couple},the new Pune areas like Kothrud [the earliest fastest developing suburb} and newer suburbs like Aundh,Baner and hitherto areas.
Me, the eternal dumbo thought that it was because new people did not settle in these areas because they were already densely populated.
Many people whispered that Hindus don't give houses to Muslims but i did not believe it.
I faced it first hand when i took up a job in Powai and poor me couldn't get a rented flat because i was Muslim . I could not even camouflage myself or my name to get accommodation. It was right there. i had to leave the job because i didn't get a place to live and because i didn't want to live like a rat in some hole in Mumbai. The point is i didn't get a place to live which i liked just because i am 'so and so'

Now that officially as democratic secular Indians we already follow this caste bias system, i propose we legislate it. Put up a bill in Parliament where politicians can debate till hoary and then declare that Hindus will not rent/sell flats/property to Muslims. We have been following this practice already since time immemorial, if it is legislated Muslims can stand together and proclaim that Indian Muslims will not sell/rent to Indian hindus and neither buy from them .Buy/hire from parsis, Christians,Atheists but not Indian Hindus.
If its legislated then I as an Indian Muslim will not feel discriminated and i also get a licence to discriminate. As you may have noticed I've addressed my fellow Indians as Indian Hindus- well, that's because I feel its as appropriate as say 'Indian Muslims'.

Ring Ring Ringa Ringa Ringa Re

Cheshire Cat

I read Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll when I was all grown up and after I came to know that it was touted as an example in logical reasoning and analytical thinking.
Apart from its lyrical prose , i love all the characters and my favorite is Cheshire cat. I don't like cats but this one i love since its personified human. What can be more human then a grinning charming Cheshire cat with a wit to match .It reminds me of eternal charming villain who is hidden within a cloak of charm and an halting wide smile.
Here's and excerpt which is symbolic ,metaphorical and my favorite.
I quote:

'Cheshire Puss,' she began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know whether it would like the name: however, it only grinned a little wider. 'Come, it's pleased so far,' thought Alice, and she went on. 'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'
'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.
'I don't much care where--' said Alice.
'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.
'--so long as I get somewhere,' Alice added as an explanation.
'Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, 'if you only walk long enough.'
Alice felt that this could not be denied, so she tried another question. 'What sort of people live about here?'
'In that direction,' the Cat said, waving its right paw round, 'lives a Hatter: and in that direction,' waving the other paw, 'lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they're both mad.'
'But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
'Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: 'we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'
'How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
'You must be,' said the Cat, 'or you wouldn't have come here.'