Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Yesterday we went to All India Industrial Exhibition at Nampally .Ash had decided just to window shop, how I wish I could curb my temptation, always I get lured with some thing or the other, a small flower, may be ek choti si Ganesha ki idol, Clothes and anything.Always I go with a mind set that I am not going to buy anything but end up buying , always coming with hands full. May be this shopping , to add some beauty to my abode gives me a pleasure an addict derive after intoxication.
We took along Mom, to put her bargaining skills to a test, and she was so full of confidence.Every time I buy anything, her experienced eyes disapprove at the slightest mention of price.Always she will tell tales of " Hamara jamana............".Still she consider me a kid who does not the ABC of bargaining, who can be duped anywhere, who does know quality. So, I thought of letting her do all the bargaining and see the result.
So much of crowd was there at the entrance, She wanted to come back.We were seeing all the shops, with a cursory view, scanning all dresses.I had planned to buy some chikan dresses(yes chikan, not chicken, its a lucknowi art of embroidery)and mom was like you and your chikan fetish.Whole market was flooded with Kashmiri work, shawls, lot of glitters, intricate work. The aroma of food, and my hunger pangs forced us to look out fotr a food joint.
Ash wanted some mouth watering Pani puri.After ordering pav bhaji for mom, we came out to see a big crowd at the stall, women of all age groups, few just out of the teens, few married, grown up ladies, relishing pani puri while their hubbies enjoying the sight.Just a look on plates, and you know that they are not going to be washed , simply rinse with water,that too if hawker gets time.We turned away, but ash looked disappointed, we asked for Disposable "Dona", but the time he took in getting it out was enough to notice the dirty hands of boy serving, dipping every time in pani, and adding a fresh quota of microbes. I thought at least this will be enough for Ash to reconsider her decision but she wanted it , so we had it served on table(same pani puri, same pani, I fail to understand what difference does it make).So free Amoebiasis and infection at a cheap price of Rs 15 per plate.
While surfing through the shops, fighting our way in crowd, losing the way several times, we could not find any chiklan shop. Lately, we found that amidst kashmiri work, there were few chikan shops we were missing out. See, this is life, while on our way to life, we miss out those very things we were looking out for.
Itra ki mahak, khilkhilate chehre, kuch na kuch dhoondhti nigahein, jid karte baccho ko bahlati maaein, lalchai nigaho se dekhte bekaso ke armaan, every thing was there at the same place.But there was something common to all, an urge to get more, a satisfaction of getting something or at least a hope of buying someday that particular doll, that particulat Tv, or that expensive dress.Hope is something that remains.................While on the way, saw many beggars, one lying on the road with some disability, and saw people not giving a look also .
This is an irony. jeevan ka ek vibhats roop, jindagi ki khubsurat shakl sabhi dekhna chahte hai, bhoutik sadhano ke peeche bhagte hai, indradhanushi sapne bunte hai, aur un shanbhangur cheezon ko hasrat se dekhte hai, jo aaj hai, kal nahin, par apne aas paas bikhare jeevan ko dekhne ka samay hi nahin milta, milta bhi hai to hum mud kar nahin dekhna chahte us rukh ko jo jindagi hume kabhi kabhi dikhati hai, sach ka.........

Posted by Neelima Arora :: 10:18 PM :: 8 Comments:

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