Dare you not to celebrate Valentine Day

Only few days remaining for the party of Valentine's Day where Elsa would go with her boyfriend Rahul. This would be her first Valentine date, after she said ‘Yes’ to him. This party would be really special for her as Rahul was planning to introduce her to all of his friends.

She planned to give a complete new look to her face. New look means a new you! Not that tired, boring face after whole day office. She had bought a dazzling red dress from Limeroad few days back. Went to parlor for facial, threading, manicure, and pedicure. She was all set to unlock the new powers of her lipstick, eye-shadow, eyeliner, and blush and create a fashion statement to be an elegant beauty! 

13^th February, 11:45 PM. 

Elsa was giving the last coats of nail polish. As if she was in a fantasy word.

“Beep! Beep!”  Suddenly her phone rang. She was sure it would be Rahul’s phone.  Yes, it was. They started talking. Romanticism was high in the air. “I want to be the first person to wish you Valentine Day, My Love! I don’t want to give scope to anybody else to call you up during this time….!!!”  Showed his possessiveness. 

12.05 AM.

Her Doorbell rang unexpectedly. Though Rahul was on the phone, she got scared, who can be in this hour at her doorstep!!! Her roommate Roma was also not in town. She went to Mumbai to be with her Boyfriend during the Valentine day. Rahul lived just 4 km away from her house. He assured her not to worry……and just peep through the door first. 

“Hey! That is a flower delivery man along with our society guard.” She excitedly said. 

Rahul poured his heart out, “Yes Darling! That’s from my side! Happy Valentine Day, My Love!!!”

Big Bouquet of Red Roses with a stunning heart-shaped candy box, accompanied with a gorgeous pink dress for her to wear in the day time. 

They kept talking to the wee hours…..

And a day packed with unbridled fun, excitement, enjoyment was waiting for them.

***********************************************

Four Years later.

14^th February. 12.05 AM

Doorbell rang.

“What the hell!!! Who’s there in this hour to eat my head!” Rahul got up from his deep sleep and went to open the door as if he would hit the person right in his face. 

There was a flower delivery person. Before he says something, Rahul said, “Sorry Boss! You are in the wrong address!” and he shut the door. 

The flower man rang the bell again. Rahul opened the door. “Is this Rahul Barua’s house? This bouquet is from Elsa Barua. Happy Valentine Day!” Saying that, he quickly handed over the Flower bouquet and before he get a punch, he disappeared from the place.

During this time, Elsa lit a candle and took out the Surprise Valentine Cake, kept in the laptop table near the bed and waited for her hubby with a smiling face. 

Rahul came in. But without the Bouquet! He kept it in the dining hall. Elsa wished him. He kept sitting for a while with a robotic smile. As soon as, Elsa cut the Cake, he fell down in the bed, and in a minute, Elsa could hear the Wheezes from his nose….

7:30 AM. 

Rahul got up first…offered Elsa a hug, a kiss and a lame excuse, “I could not realise what was happening to me last night. Was extremely sleepy!.....Thanks for such a lovely bouquet….and, …and the yummy Cake.”

Elsa, an understanding wife…said, “But, how come you know the Cake was yummy while you even did not taste it?”

Rahul instantly replied, “It should be. Must be. It’s from my lovely wify after all!!!”

Elsa, “Anyways, let’s go somewhere today. How about having our lunch in some good restaurant today?”

“All restaurants will be jam-packed, and you are sooo good cook. Why don’t you make some Valentine Special dish today?” He murmured.

And he thought “God!!! Save me….!!!! I don’t want to waste the Saturday and Sunday....And my Cricket Match..Oh..NO!!!”, though he was expecting some INCREASE in VOICE VOLUME shortly…… 




Are our wallets becoming skinny day by day

Incident one:

“Tring! Tring!” Suddenly my home intercom rang in the morning today. My neighbor cum close friend, Mittal’s voice. “Hey Madhu, do you have Rs. 350 cash?”

Was a bit embarrassed, “Aah….let me check…let me call you back…..”.

“Be quick, someone is waiting at my doorstep. I am holding the line.” , Mittal said.

Me and my husband got terribly busy for a minute searching for Cash…..in the drawer, pant pockets, shirt pockets, office bags…where not…….But, could not accumulate the whole money….Rs.20 was deficit…..Pheww!!! Mittal had Rs.20, Thank God!!!!

Incident two:

I have the experience of getting caught by the traffic cops twice or thrice in Delhi, but hey!.. not for rash driving, but for parking in a wrong place (You know how difficult to get a parking!!! J ), and once because of driving with a broken number plate.

Coming to Bangalore, I was not geographically familiar with its slim streets initially. And I hate looking at GPRS while driving. I always call up my hubby to understand the roads…

I had to go to Koramangla for some reasons, just few days after reaching Bangalore. At Sony centre traffic light, I was confused where to go now. At the traffic halt, I dialled my husband’s number, just tried to understand what he said. Suddenly, I heard somebody knocking at my window. Yes, he was a burly traffic police!!! ;)

I kept the phone, but he asked me to show my driving license. I told him, “Sir, I am new to the place, thus asked my hubby the road-directions. I have my driving license as well as the RC. But sorry, I have only Rs. 5 in my pocket.”…….He gave me a strange look and said, “You should not talk on phone while driving, and you should carry some cash too…Just keep in mind in future.” With a smiling face, understanding his intention, I nodded my head and proceeded.

But, just thought.....are not our wallets becoming thinner, day by day!!! Are our wallets trying to be skinny gradually to be a Zero figure? 

I can remember my grandparents showing me 1 paisa, 2 paisa, 10 paisa coins. Even when I was in Class V, I used to get a tasty Pop, or a big loaf for 25 paisa, or 50 paisa. These all seem far away now. 

Our parents used to get salary by cash, but now they even get direct deposit in the bank account. We have encountered electronic bill payments.  We now trust internet banking, transfer the money in few minutes.  We use a credit card or debit card at the petrol pump, or to buy grocery. And how can we forget our new ability to scan and deposit a cheque from a smartphone?

These are the clear signs of technology which are changing our lives and making our wallets thinner. I think we are not very far from the cashless endgame which will be apps for the smartphone that finally take over the concept of swiping a card, probably by fingerprint, sensors. Or probably a digital card, massively expandable that replaces every single magnetic-striped card you have in your wallet.

I personally feel that we cannot be totally cashless because we still feel obliged and indulged to tip the waiter, the doorman, a roadside begger or a traffic police, but who knows…maybe someday they will have a card reader in their smartphones. 

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? I bet you are…..

Kid in materialistic world

I went to a get together few days back in a resort. We four families. We had three kidoos in the party. Mine is four, one is 3 yrs and another one is 2 yrs who was a girl.

The 3 yrs boy was continuously disturbing his parents. He did not like the atmosphere probably. He wanted to go out from the place, thus was trying to pull his Dad out all the time. Being irritated, my friend handed over a phone to the kid. Immediately his face became more charming with a beautiful smile. He happily started playing some games on his father’s phone. And his mother proudly said, “He is so smart that he learnt using my smartphone when he was hardly 2yrs old. He can spend whole the day playing games on this phone. He even uses my husband’s ipad.”

My kid, what he would do now? He too asked for my mobile phone. Insisted so much that I had to hand over. Could not help! Both the kids sat in a corner, silently kept playing games, watching Youtube Car videos. The poor 2 yrs. girl, she went and sat beside my son and quietly kept watching the videos, the games.

This is a story of most of the little kids nowadays. This makes me feel bad, helpless that what kind of artificial/ materialistic lifestyle they are in. And we console ourselves saying that they are intelligent, smart kids and after sometime we will only try to instill them the tips and tricks how to keep up with the Joneses.

Mother Nature used to be the only option to entertain us in our time. Nostalgic about the way we have grown up! Playing with friends in the ground, having friends who used to share everything, spending time in paddy field, smelling the muddy-fields, growing vegetables, flowers, sitting endless moments under a tree...

Childhood should be all about enjoying the beauty of Mother Nature, giggling and playing without any worries or sadness, in the open, fresh air. Not in mock or materialistic place or things like resort, mobile phone, ipad, television etc.

But, can we make all these accessible to them?  It’s DAMN difficult!...But NOT IMPOSSIBLE too.