challo challe mittwa

Going to Pune to witness a batch of Indian soldiers pass out of the National Defence Academy. One of them is my borther-in-law. It will be such an honour. I think it will be a life time opportunity to go inside the campus. We are given dress codes for all the 4 days that we would be at the NDA and what better excuse than this to go shopping! S told me it is not a fashion parade and I don't have to be so excited about dressing up. How can a man know about women and dresses? I don't mind. I don't mind.

I have bought a light coloured saree as Pune is really hot these days. Ma-in-law wanted me to wear our traditional dress too. I am not only a Bharatya Naari but a Manipuri Naari who have taken upon her thin shoulders the responsibility of showcasing her rich culture and heritage. Don't you see it is always the women? And S tells me not to take it as a fashion parade. How is that possible? :-)

Our tradional dress consists of a wrap around (which is thick), a blouse and a half saree which can be worn as a saree or as a shawl. I have given the blouse for stitching and I paid three times the amount that I paid one and a half years back. Talk of inflation! I mean I did not go to some Manish Malhotra but our own galli ka darzi and the price rise is too much. Now I know why actresses these days are not wearing blouses and are making do with strings. Even they are affected by inflation. Oh dear poor sisters! See now I understand why Tanisha was going bra bra dekho in Neel and Nikki. She doesn't get many movies and she is also a victim of inflation. Bad me, bad me for mocking her in a public forum!

Coming back to blouses, I hate being measured by a male tailor. I am sure most women feel the same.

Anyway, I am planning to catch up with two of my childhood friends. There is R, the lady warden. She has left that job long time back but I keep referring to her as the lady warden. She will be relocating to Mumbai very soon. She got a job in a very good college under Mumbai University. Hope Mr. Raj Thackeray will not have any problems to this. She is a gold medalist from Pune University and Mumbai only stand to lose. Leen had finished her M.B.B.S long time back but suddenly decided to go for the P.G and I am glad she has chosen Pune to do it. These are friends with whom I went to school in my small hometown in the far corner of the country. I am still thankful to that school we attended. Amidst the strikes, bandhs, bomblasts, extortion and a lot more disturbances to a normal student life, that school kept our dreams alive. Even to a student like me, who is not the topper but slightly above average, it gave me the confidence that someday I would be able to find something worthwhile to do beyond MBBS and Engineering. Something that I love, something that I am good at.

So, it would be sort of a re-union. We would miss the rest of the gang, Ri, Ju and Li. Ju and Li are at NYC and Virginia, and kicking ass. They hang out together and share their snaps. We are planning to do the same. Hee hee hee. S wanted to meet his friends too. Thinking out loud (and hoping he is reading this), maybe he could drop me and get introduced to my buddies and I could pick him up later and get introduced to his buddies since we don't have that much time in hand.