No Country For Women & No Year For Analysis

So it’s time to wrap up the year. Christmas is over…New Year is looming over our heads. It’s been while since I’ve even seen my freaking blog, thanks to inhumane amounts of work that was lined up. But during the time I did not write all hell broke loose around me…us. A Khap leader went on to say that Fast food and Chinese food are the reasons that rape happens in our country, but that’s not all, he said this on national television. A fundamentalist leader who’s means and intentions have always been questionable passed away, and so many were affected like you wouldn’t believe. Couple of girls got arrested for just Facebooking about how his death should not be affecting a city like Mumbai or some such thing. A pre-med student got beaten to pulp and gang-raped in the Capital. In the middle of all the ruckus and protests for a better life for women in this country my problems seemed too vain and too trivial to start on.

But I have to. At some point you know. With time speeding towards my wedding I’m edging more towards the bridezilla zone. I’m nervous and I feel like nothing is getting done. The thing about weddings is what you happens and what you dream of might be VASTLY different. What’s common is in both scenarios it’ll end up being perfect. So that’s what I’m hoping for. I mean right off the top of my head I can atleast name 50 different things that need being done and my problem is I just cannot for the love of God delegate. I need to be involved in every minute detail.

Décor? What color? Food? How many courses? Is there going to be enough fish? Guests? Where will they stay and how? Wedding favors?

I mean I can easily delegate these to SuperMom and SuperDad and they’ll take care of it. But I just can’t. And I haven’t found the perfect dress for the wedding reception and I’m losing sleep and hair over how I’ll never find it. I expected weddings to be less stressful. God knows why.

And I haven’t been able to shed even an ounce of weight which is basically causing a lot of stress. So as you can imagine much to my chagrin I discovered that stress actually causes excess abdominal fat. So now not only do I need to obsessively be involved in all the planning but do it with genuine happiness.

All in all I’m just happy that this year is over. It was such a cocktail of good, bad and ugly life events that I don’t have the energy to actually analyze. I’m just gonna let it be.

This country is no country for women and this year is no year for analysis.

A Bottle Or Three

Considering the last few days were all about the hospitals and running around and medicines for A, it was obviously time for a cheer-up-brunch for her. Now that I'm getting older I absolutely love day time drinking. Especially on a Sunday.

Problem is A doesn't know how to do normal drinking or tone anything down. So by the time I was there a bottle of wine was ordered and rearing to go. 3 hours down we'd finished off 3 bottles of wine and saying things none of us even attempted to understand and asking for the 'best House wine' and having the waiters tell us 'Ma'am we have only ONE House wine'. And since we were not done and were not sure if we could finish a bottle we started ordering by the glass. Turns out we might as well have ordered a bottle and some more.

After ridiculous conversation and enough amount of drunk dialing B we got literally hit by this idea which was beyond awesome. Thing is, drunk people get ideas. And they are adamant about them. Mainly because they think it's the best thing they have ever thought of. A and her friend thought it would be freaking awesome to finally get my nose pierced. And, man, were we a group of determined girls. We visited 5 jewelry shops none of which helped.  At 9 in the night we reached a popular hospital's emergency ward and I said "I'm getting married tomorrow. I need my nose pierced. Otherwise I won't be able to get married. It's an emergency. Kind Of."

So confused was the attending doctor that she called up the ENT specialist to find if they even did something like that. turns out they do. But not at 9PM on a Sunday. I'm still not sure why didn't

think of going to Tattoo/Piercing places?!

I guess ideas that come after 3 bottles of wine don't always have the best execution plans.

You'd think the story is over. But you haven't met a more determined person than A. So she's still trying to drag my ass to this piercing place and get it done. Maybe she's still drunk. We did have a lot to drink on Sunday.

Unpacking The Baggage

Zipping past India Gate in a late summer night I realized how little time I take out to actually admire the beauty of this city. My city. With the windows rolled down and the warm wind blowing my hair into a crazy tangle, I felt exhilarated. Out of breath. I felt almost as much in love with this city as I was that summer, that summer I turned 18. That summer when I fell in love with the huge red building of my Alma Mater. That summer when I kicked shyness in the butt and made some awesome friends. That summer when I was overwhelmed with the course the lecturer laid out in front of me. That summer when I found hidden Chinese food joints. That summer when I had my first real swig of Beer. That summer when I discovered myself. That summer when I stepped onto the Train Station and knew the city was mine.

It is true. You don’t choose New Delhi, New Delhi chooses you. It will leave you exasperated with crime rates and power cuts. The summers will make you swear to not come back again. It’ll corrode your soul a little every day. You’ll promise yourself you’ll run. But you see, you can’t. For what it takes, it gives you more. Always and in many ways. For some the people they learn to live with and love. For some the jobs that take care of everything they love. For some the empowerment that comes from driving events that shape the political history of a country. For some the love.

For me? I don’t know where to start. Was it the thrill of finally knowing who I am or what food I liked? Or my first painful love story. Or the first time I waded through knee-high water. Or my first successful shot at bargaining. Maybe it was the growing up and finding a soul mate.

Point is be it a person or a city, they can load you with a lot of baggage (no shit!). But the reason I stay on  is that it also helps me unpack my baggage. Gives me moments in time when I can just throw myself on the bed, stare at the ceiling and not care about a damn thing. How can you leave a city which helps you unpack your baggage? I wish I was one of those people who can just up and leave at the drop of a hat. Maybe they have it easier. But I can’t and never will.

And then I turn to look at the person sitting next to me.

And how can you leave a person who has helped you unpack your baggage? If it ever comes to leaving everything behind, this man right next to me, I’m taking. We can unpack together.

After The Radio Silence

I know. Radio silence can be a bitch. And that’s all you got here off late.

But can you identify with the time when you’re life has nothing exciting and you’re just lazing around one day after another with no motivation of doing anything at all? Well, the past few weeks were NOTHING like this. I’ve been hella busy! With work (but, of course) and in my personal space as well.

And if you thought I was complaining….hell, no! I’m soaking in every minute of my crazy busy schedule that is eventually going to lead into one of the most important days in anybody’s life. So yea, I’m good. Mr. Cool-as-cucumber-boyfriend is coping quite well too. Except the times when you know the day has dealt you more than what you can handle. On days like that you will hear random shite like “This is my driving face.” But it’s time to say b-bye to the driving face thanks to the abnormal  hike in petrol prices last week. People went berserk it affected the nation’s travel plans and my swimming plans.

With “b-bye Driving Face” comes “Hello Metro/Subway/Tube.” Honestly, though it is slightly cumbersome to travel for an hour in the Delhi Metro, thanks to the huge distances, it’s also insanely fun. Oh, the variety of people that you meet and see!

There’s always the girl who cannot get enough of phone conversations with her boyfriend. Sitting or standing she’s always animatedly talking into the phone.

And the bunch of girls who discuss every minute aspect of their lives with each other in their loud voices, as result subjecting the entire Women’s compartment to a narration of life in her shoes. Boyfriend’s cheating, work sucks, husband’s lazy. You name it and I bet she’s facing that problem.

And then there are the ones that like to play music out loud. From their phones. Oblivious of the ‘No loud music’ signs carefully stuck above the doors and everywhere else.

The women who hop in to the metro and do their very best to exude an air that says “I never take public transport…but my car broke down/driver called in sick etc etc.”

Oh, the women with the kids. Who let their kid run around the entire metro screaming, squealing, punching random people and more. It’s safe to say that the entire crowd lives in the fear of actually having do deal with these moving/running/squealing time bombs.

And then there are the likes of me. Who sit, look around, listen to some music (not loudly) and observe people. Carefully toeing the line between being aloof and downright creepy.

I can’t wait for the entertainment to start.

Hulk...Smash!

10 days back I watched Avengers. I fell in love with the movie instantly. So both B and I went to watch it again. It's actually one of those movies you don't really get tired of. One of my favorite parts?

Bamm!

Apart from that when Capt America goes... "Hulk...Smash!" and Hulk goes berserk. This baby is slowly climbing the movie charts into being my top 5 movies of all times.

How I wish we could "Hulk...Smash!" through life. Just bulldoze through all the work, unpleasantness, uncomfortable parts of our lives.I mean of course life wouldn't be as much fun but atleast you don't have to face that asshole after 12 hours of work who wants to suddenly switch lanes or the slow poke who takes 10 mins to pay 20 bucks at the toll gate.

It's interesting how both examples are driving related. It gets on my nerves even when I don't do the driving. Imagine B actually doing the driving. So even when I thought that he'd absolutely gone nuts when he declared that he now has a driving face (read really unimaginably weird face) I didn't say a thing. I figured he needed the distraction from trying to scream his lungs out and tearing apart the assholes on the road.

City traffic just plain sucks. And B's been so good. Driving me to work, then to the pool so I can pretend I'm losing weight by splashing around and back home. The schedule is literally screaming out for a break. Therefore, Rishikesh it is this weekend. Oh and I can put my camera to some real use :)