Brammandamai Brammandamai!!!!

India is in the grips of the deadly H1N1.

I got a sound blasting from mom for poor me wanting to go for a movie. Hearing mom's loud yet concerned blasting, Ramya and I decided to watch Hangover later. Really, who wants to watch Bradley Cooper when death is certain if you step out of the house, regardless of your trips to the office, the supermarket, etc.

Which is why, Ramya and I decided to celebrate life and went shopping. Better still, evening shopping. :)

You should definitely ask what was great about today. Well for one, it wasn't blazing hot for a change. It is just a small agreement of sorts that we have with the Lord. It might be pouring when we are inside. But the minute we step out, it HAS to scorch enough to burn our soft skin. To the extent that we scream when we sit on the bike. You see, it didn't happen today! How great is that! :)

We got kurtas at megamart and headed straight to our very own 'Mall Of America'. Yep. Saravana Brammandamai!!! :P

The crowd there never ceases to amaze me. It was packed on a Wednesday evening, for heaven's sake!! I mean, don't people have better work to do? Before you ask what we were doing there on a weekday I would like to clear a few things. We were there due to an unavoidable emergency. Really. Cross my heart. :D

Today, the entrance was empty! There were times when Rums and I (Sorry Ramya. Too long a name to type every time. :D ) used to think that they paid people to stand there just to make the world think they are hot on the shopping list. But today, there were no heads standing outside! I just HAD to take a picture for fear that I may never see such a thing again in life. Saravana and not crowded?! C'mon. It's like Christmas with no Christmas tree. Just not possible!

Rums and I brought it down to the deadly flu. After a millisecond of doubt (well we don't want to anger the virus now, do we, by making it feel less important), we entered the most visited place in T Nagar, thinking that we are probably the only ones not bothered a bit by its deadliness.

The first thing we saw - people with their noses covered with handkerchief and kids running around with face masks. Ok. I just got one question. If you are so bloody scared of the virus, why the hell are you coming out?! Why don't you just sit at home and watch the evening show on Sun TV?

A few minutes later, I couldn't help but tell Rums that for the first time since the arrival of the virus, I was getting a wee bit scared. After a while, I realised that it was all bogus.

They say that given a chance to do what he wants, man only apes another. It proved true. Even the ones who were walking carefree started covering their noses with dupattas and handkerchief upon seeing the 'careful' ones.

Seeing the comparatively less crowded place, only one thought struck us. The ear-rings section!

It is always so crowded you hardly get a peek at the collection. Even the girls shouting out to their moms and friends can be accepted. It really beats me though, what a guy would want in that section. Ok, you came with your wife/girlfriend. But do you HAVE to stand there looking at her lovingly in the crowd and add to the mess?! Well, it's not their fault entirely when the poor damsel in distress can't hold a small basket and needs him to hold it for her. I mean, c'mon! A lady died trying to launch a rocket. You can't hold your oh-so-heavy basket?!

We entered the section brimming with hope and happiness. The minute we stepped into the section, the bubble above our heads burst. Well, whaddaya know. It was crowded as usual. So much for our faint hope to shop peacefully. :(

We did manage to grab a few ear-rings. Don't stare. There is something called loyalty and sincerity, you know. :P

After some good shopping, we ended the day by going to my library and borrowing a few books. I was curled up with my Archies until I decided to login and bug someone online.

This was probably one of those happy girl-girl days that I would always remember. Well, what can I say. Swine flu or no swine flu, girls will be girls. :)

Love Aaj Kal

My first ever attempt at 'story' writing.

Disclaimer - All the characters in this story are fictitious and any resemblance to anyone dead or alive is purely intentional. ;)

‘Damn, the rain!’, thought Rimi. ‘It never rains when I am at home with the luxury to snuggle up with a book and a cup of hot chocolate. It always makes a point to pour when I am at the bus stop with no umbrella and my arms full of otherwise useless stuff.’

She was so engrossed in her pouting that she didn’t notice him until he came and stood beside her. He was not someone you would call strikingly handsome. Yet, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. He had sharp features and a lean, but well maintained physique. ‘Who is he?’ she thought. ‘I come here everyday. I have never seen him before.’ As if he felt a pair of eyes boring through him, he turned suddenly and smiled at her. Although taken aback, she smiled back, thinking, ‘Ok stop. He can probably see you drooling in spite of the rain.’ The AC Volvo she had been waiting for finally arrived and she couldn’t wait to get into it for fear of more drooling.

She hurriedly scampered into the bus and took the first seat that came into view, and heaved a sigh of relief as if she had escaped from a refugee camp, only to notice that he was right behind her, this time grinning. ‘That was REAL smooth. Way to go, Rimi’, she thought. She assured herself that she must have done some good deed in her previous birth. The seat next to her was occupied, saving her more embarrassment in case he sat next to her. After an uneventful journey, she saw him finally get up and get down at a stop ten minutes from where she lived.

‘Phew! I am alive. I made through it!’ she thought. ‘No more what-was-your-most-embarrassing-moment situations.’ She had always hated that question when it was asked as a part of the ‘fun’ games. What was ‘fun’ about it anyway? Well, looking at it from the listener’s perspective, one’s embarrassment was indeed another’s joke. ‘Hmpf.’ She got off the bus and started walking home. The rain had reduced by now and there was only a slight drizzle.

‘So, you were drooling at a guy in the bus stop. Man, I have never seen you drool!!’ screeched Jonie into the phone.

‘Again. Why are we best friends?’ Rimi asked. ‘I never get an answer to that. Anyway, I am glad it’s over with and am never, ever gonna lay eyes on him in my life again’, Rimi said with obvious happiness. ‘Ok mom’s calling. Got ta go. Catch you later. Bye.’

She hurried to the hall. ‘Rimi, there you are. Where have you been? Come here. Meet Bala. He has moved into our apartment this week. He is in Mr. Naresh’s flat. You remember they moved out last month, don’t you?’


‘Oh yes. Ha…. Ha…. Ha…’ was all that came out. Yes, of course. It was him!

‘Rimi, are you alright?’ he asked.

Well, of all the things your crush should tell you the first time. ‘Wait a minute. Crush?! Did I just think CRUSH? Whoa! I need to get a grip. Where’s my vodka?!’

‘Yes. I am fine. Hello. How are you?’ she managed politely.

‘I am fine, thank you. So, what do you do?’

Well, apart from staring at strange guys at the bus stop, she thought. ‘I work in the IT industry’, she said.

‘Oh that’s nice. So you are from those corporate boxes.’ He smiled.

Oh, the jerk! Hmpf. ‘Well, what do you do?’ she asked, giving her widest smile.

‘I am an architect.’

‘Oh that’s nice. So you make those boxes’, she grinned her oh-so-sweet grin.

He roared into a laughter filled with amusement. ‘Ha ha’, she thought.

It was a week later after that fiasco of a meeting. Life was at its boring best. But not boring enough for Jonie. All she had to do was mention ‘Bala’, see the look on Rimi’s face, and roll on the floor (literally) laughing. All of Rimi’s effort to act as if the name meant hoot to her were in vain.

One day when she was entering her apartment building absorbed in her thoughts, she heard a sound beside her. She turned and saw Mr. Architect sporting a wide grin. He read her confused expression and said, ‘I asked how the IT industry is. You alright?’

‘Great. It was becoming a habit. It was probably his favourite line by now’, she thought.

‘Yes, am alright. Was just thinking of something at work. The IT industry is how it was a week ago. What about you? Came up with any new boxes?’ Finally. Satisfaction.

Well, not really. He broke into a fit of laughter.

‘You know’, he said. ‘You really crack me up.’

‘Is that supposed to be an insult or a compliment’, she asked.

‘What do you think?’ With that, he left.

‘I am NOT going to think about you ever. That’s what I think’ she thought with a finality.

A few months passed with a chance meeting once in a while. One day, when Rimi was waiting at the bus stop, a car came to a halt right in front of her. The window came down and she saw Bala inside.

‘Hi. Going home?’

‘Err.. No.. I am going to my friend’s place.’

‘Hop in. I’ll drop you.’

Oh shoot. ‘Hey I didn’t even tell you where it is’, she said.

‘That’s ok. I am done for the day and was in the mood for a drive anyway. Wouldn’t mind your company.’

Ok. No escape. You had better get in.

‘So. How was your day?’, he asked once they started moving.

‘’Twas fine. Yours?’

‘Mine was good’, he said with a smile.

Silence. ‘I have never been so quiet in my entire life’, she thought. ‘Except, maybe when I was sent out of class once and there was no one to talk to. Even then I spoke to Vicki when she passed by and was sent to the Principal’s office.’

The car came to a stop all of a sudden.

He turned to her. ‘Uh oh. Is he one of those serial killer guys?’, she thought.

‘Rimi’, he said. ‘I have been meaning to tell you this for a long time now.’

‘Hold it right there, mister. I don’t want to hear another word. I am getting out of the car. If you try anything funny, I am shouting for help.’

‘What? God, girl. You really are nuts. What did you think I was going to do to you? Fine, if you want to leave, go ahead’, he said, anger evident on his face.

‘Ok’, she said. ‘I give you exactly ten minutes. What is it?’

He let out a sigh of irritation and turned to her.

‘I like you.’

‘Huh…?’

‘Is that all you can really say…? Hello… You al…’

‘Yes, yes, am alright. If I hear that from you once more, I just might .’
‘What is it then?’

‘I... It’s just... It’s out of the blue…’

‘Okay… So you need time to think about it?’

‘No!’

‘So you like me too?’

‘No… Yes… I don’t know…’

‘Ok that’s a lot of information to take in a second.’

‘I mean, I liked you from the moment I saw you. But later thought you were… a snob and a jerk.’

He roared into his now famous laughter.

‘You know one of the reasons I like you? You can really make me laugh.’

‘Hey! Is that a compliment or an insult?’

‘What do you think? I have been laughing like I’ve laughed in my life when I am with you. It really feels good. I like that.’

‘So you like me because I make you laugh? I mean… That is… I’ve never heard this before.’

‘God, no. I liked you the day I saw you in the bus stop cursing the rain. I knew you liked me too. I really feel we’ll be great together, if you’re ready to give it a chance and trust me.’

She opened her mouth, but nothing came. She felt her cheeks turning pink. ‘What the… I don’t blush. Oh, c’mon!’

‘Ok,’ she said. ‘I feel things are moving too soon. I do like you. But I would like to get to know you better. I know you would like to get to know me too. I think we should take some time before the trust factor comes in. I mean, for all I know, you could be a serial killer or something,’ she finished with a smile tugging at her mouth.

He laughed. ‘So he really meant it when he said I make him laugh,’ she thought. ‘Glad to spread some joy.’

‘Ok. I understand. We’ll take it your way.’

A few months later, Rimi was getting ready to go out with Jonie.

‘Rimi! We are getting late!’ Jonie called from the living room.

‘Ya am coming,’ Rimi yelled back. ‘Bye mom. Am running late. See you in the evening.’

‘You know something,’ Jonie said once they were in the car. ‘I really like Bala. He is such a wonderful guy. I am so glad you guys are together. So happy for you.’

Rimi smiled. ‘I really like him too. Actually, I think it is getting to become something more than that.’

They shot off onto the road with Jonie’s excited scream reverberating in the air.