One of my colleagues at office is a big-time snob who mixes with the middle-class me only because I, being the noble soul that I am, refuse to refuse her a lift back home.
The person I am talking about, say madam K, lives just about 50-100 yards from the place I live in, but across the road. We got acquainted when I used to take the company bus to office during my initial months at work. Well, that worked well only till I got pregnant and I felt sick to even get up in the mornings to catch my 7.15 bus. I decided that I couldn’t do that and started driving down to work. I still do that because I am just used to it – Aditi turns 2 this December, which means I’ve been driving to work for over 2½ years now. I am just lazy to start getting up again at 6 – 6.30 to catch my bus. Also, I don’t know the drop point nearest to my new residence and I conveniently avoid the hassle!
I digress. Madam K has this great power of intuition to catch me a few minutes before I am set to leave for the day, everyday, or at least on all those days when she wants a lift. How she figures out that I am going to be around or am leaving then are all a mystery to me. What is wrong in dropping her back as the car would anyway be empty otherwise, you may ask? Yeah? That’s the risk considering you get to only listen to her all snobbish stories. Thank you. I do not wish to go through that torture again.
In my initial trimester I hadn’t told people in office about my state and was hush-hush. Madam K also didn’t know. One day on the way back, she told me that “I don’t think you want to start family now. You should be married for at least 4 or 5 years like we were, before we had D”. As if deciding for me was not worse, she added, “That is the only good way so you can have fun, you know”. I thought she would’ve fainted had I told her that I was already ‘there’. :P
Then there were this apartment hunting discussions during one of which, she offered to sell us one of her three apartments, because it would free up cash for the third (under construction) duplex penthouse. And, the reason for buying the penthouse was that her in-laws stay in the ground floor and she could peacefully stay in the top floor and enjoy some privacy. I somehow think she would make a bad mother-in-law. Why, I am almost sure!
One day, I asked her casually (actually casually) why she did not learn to drive. She joked that her husband freaks out when she starts the car and she had fought once on that issue and vowed never to drive again. I nodded, thinking that could not be a valid reason. After a minute of thought, maybe thinking whether to tell me or not, she said, “You know actually why I don’t want to learn to drive? That’s so I needn’t drive my parents-in-law around because they would start expecting me to drive them to places during weekends like their daughter does in the US. Tell me who can handle that?” I nodded again, so fast so that she didn’t catch me laughing. Oh yeah? That’s why some people don’t want to drive. To top it all, she wouldn’t want to engage chauffeurs because, then again, in-laws would use it for so many errands unnecessarily. But then she wants her in-laws around to take care of her son.
After shifting to our new house, I have not had a chance to bump into her as often, neither at office nor back in our old area, though I have been to our earlier place quite a few times. Once when I was damn hungry running an errand, my m-i-l called me to tell me that they were joining their friends for a visit to the nearby mandir and that I catch something to eat on the way back, to stay okay till dinner time. I stopped by my old area at a chat shop and was busy gobbling down a samosa. That’s when I met her again. She had to ask me why I was there and whether I come via that route everyday. Now, don’t you also get the intention of the question? I mean, she could see why I was there. I then informed here that I don’t frequent the route and I drive by whenever I am running an errand or just wished to drive that way.
Some people!
The person I am talking about, say madam K, lives just about 50-100 yards from the place I live in, but across the road. We got acquainted when I used to take the company bus to office during my initial months at work. Well, that worked well only till I got pregnant and I felt sick to even get up in the mornings to catch my 7.15 bus. I decided that I couldn’t do that and started driving down to work. I still do that because I am just used to it – Aditi turns 2 this December, which means I’ve been driving to work for over 2½ years now. I am just lazy to start getting up again at 6 – 6.30 to catch my bus. Also, I don’t know the drop point nearest to my new residence and I conveniently avoid the hassle!
I digress. Madam K has this great power of intuition to catch me a few minutes before I am set to leave for the day, everyday, or at least on all those days when she wants a lift. How she figures out that I am going to be around or am leaving then are all a mystery to me. What is wrong in dropping her back as the car would anyway be empty otherwise, you may ask? Yeah? That’s the risk considering you get to only listen to her all snobbish stories. Thank you. I do not wish to go through that torture again.
In my initial trimester I hadn’t told people in office about my state and was hush-hush. Madam K also didn’t know. One day on the way back, she told me that “I don’t think you want to start family now. You should be married for at least 4 or 5 years like we were, before we had D”. As if deciding for me was not worse, she added, “That is the only good way so you can have fun, you know”. I thought she would’ve fainted had I told her that I was already ‘there’. :P
Then there were this apartment hunting discussions during one of which, she offered to sell us one of her three apartments, because it would free up cash for the third (under construction) duplex penthouse. And, the reason for buying the penthouse was that her in-laws stay in the ground floor and she could peacefully stay in the top floor and enjoy some privacy. I somehow think she would make a bad mother-in-law. Why, I am almost sure!
One day, I asked her casually (actually casually) why she did not learn to drive. She joked that her husband freaks out when she starts the car and she had fought once on that issue and vowed never to drive again. I nodded, thinking that could not be a valid reason. After a minute of thought, maybe thinking whether to tell me or not, she said, “You know actually why I don’t want to learn to drive? That’s so I needn’t drive my parents-in-law around because they would start expecting me to drive them to places during weekends like their daughter does in the US. Tell me who can handle that?” I nodded again, so fast so that she didn’t catch me laughing. Oh yeah? That’s why some people don’t want to drive. To top it all, she wouldn’t want to engage chauffeurs because, then again, in-laws would use it for so many errands unnecessarily. But then she wants her in-laws around to take care of her son.
After shifting to our new house, I have not had a chance to bump into her as often, neither at office nor back in our old area, though I have been to our earlier place quite a few times. Once when I was damn hungry running an errand, my m-i-l called me to tell me that they were joining their friends for a visit to the nearby mandir and that I catch something to eat on the way back, to stay okay till dinner time. I stopped by my old area at a chat shop and was busy gobbling down a samosa. That’s when I met her again. She had to ask me why I was there and whether I come via that route everyday. Now, don’t you also get the intention of the question? I mean, she could see why I was there. I then informed here that I don’t frequent the route and I drive by whenever I am running an errand or just wished to drive that way.
Some people!
3 comments:
Now what if Madam K happens to read this post! :)
She will start behaving better.
Very nice post!
Couldnt resist asking this, where in Bangalore are you? You look familiar.
I am at Arakere, MR.
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