Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Beginning with Anuja

"Pratibhaji, she is brilliant. What can I tell you about her. I am so glad she continued in this school even though you took up St. Lawrence High"

Anuja had always been an intelligent child, after all she was the vice-principal's daughter, but Pratibhaji wanted to see how Anuja would do if she was left to study by herself, without any help from her. And Anuja had again portrayed her true capabilities.

She had been studying day and night. She felt good about it. She was sure she would ace her final BMS exams, and be a Merit ranker. Once these exams got over, she had to start studying for her IELTS. Yeah, people kept saying it was easier than the exams for American Universities. She did not want to go abroad at all. But her mom was pretty charged up about it, she had even announced to Anuja that she had all their finances arranged for her studies ahead.

Getting into the University of Bedfordshire was a convoluted process. At times she thought she got through, and had been accepted into the MBA program, at times she thought they were ready to reject her. Another person from her class had gotten through London University already. Vikram was almost set to leave too.

She was sick of all the shopping, all the aunts and uncles making a big deal out of her leaving the country. She was sick of the million envelopes she got stuffed with money. She wasn't even going to be using rupees anymore.

She checked into the airport, with 2 bags and her laptop bag. "Beta, come outside after your check-in..", her mother whispered into her ear motioning across to the 20 or so relatives who were there to bid her goodbye. She warned her mother that she would not come out after check in or whatever it was that she was waiting for.

After checking in her bags, and security, she sat on one of those blue plastic-cushion seats. She put her laptop bag on her lap, put her arms around it, and put her head down. And then Anuja cried, and cried hard. For all her dreams she was leaving behind. And for new beginnings without being herded.

Do you smile? Really?

"It's been more than a fortnight and you haven't blogged!"

"Kya kar rahi hai ab? Nothing? Peaacee.. go blog.."

"Have you written something? no? Have you written something?"

Three of my most faithful readers I guess. I haven't written in the last few days.. infact, I haven't even visited this page. I don't know why.

A couple of months ago, RM asked me a weird question, her motive for asking it was just to put me down, but anyway, here it is, "Why are you so insecure?" Now if you know me, you should know that this is a big deal for me. One, being asked such a question, and two, putting it up here. Opening myself to the million critiques and judgment that are going to pass through the mind of all you people out there, and no, don't deny it, you are going to judge me on this one question, someone who is anti-me has asked me.

Ahaa.. so if RM thinks she is insecure, she probably is. No wonder, she hates RM... etc, etc.

Hold your horses, RM said that because my status message on gtalk was "Meine dil se kaha.. dhoondh lana khushi..", and she had just been explained the meaning of this song.

My status messages on Gtalk are normally what my mood dictates. So I was kinda glum that day. One day my status can say things like "Oranges should not be eaten alone" and another day it can be "Happy happy happy, HAPPY days are here again", and sometimes just a plain, "Discombobulated". This in no way means I am depressed, or that I am insecure. It means, that I am a normal person (according to my standards) ( and I like my standards, thank you very much) and I have normal moods and ups and downs. And because I have downs, I know how good ups can be.

I am not one of those people who will always smile, even when they are grimacing inside, they are not even smiling really because a real smile can be just inside, and has to be inside too. I will grimace, frown at you and not just do it inside. I am not those bubbly, quirky, chirpy people who light up the place like sunshine wherever they are. I prefer my sarcastic barbs more anyday. I will not leave people with them thinking, "Wow, she is so sweet and caring", probably, you will be left wondering what the hell happened after I am done with. Ask Pik. He still remembers my first few lines to him, which were absolutely instinctive but not sweet and sugary from any angle.

I do NOT go about flashing my moods to everyone. But I do know for a fact, that there are a number of people on my gtalk list who roll their mouse over my name just to see what the status message says. To make sense of it, and smile. I know some, and I know that I do that too, for other people I know who keep insightful status messages. Which make me go hmmmm..

So I am asking this of you now. I throw the question out to debate, is it weird, insecure, depressing behaviour to acknowledge your bad mood and not suppress it? To be able to say, "Hey, I am in an effed up mood today, watch out."I would think that the eternally and artificially smiling kinds would be the insecure ones.. too insecure to be able to express themselves.

And for what it's worth, I refuse to ever have just a lame smiley as my status message, along with being unoriginal it is absolutely fake. You do not smile all the time really, why fake it.