Quirky Indians 11-15

Rosh stole his neighbor’s newspaper everyday without fail while Heer was more excited about wearing Nath than lehenga on her wedding.

Day 11

Sashreek loved watching television from a young age. He was the only one in his whole family to be so fascinated with the idiot box.

When children played at night in the aangan, his mother would find him in a room, watching the only one in their whole building. It was bought by their neighbor, yet the sole user was the little boy.

Sashreek’s mother sat with him occasionally for company, but it hurt her eyes to watch the moving images for long. The little boy would have to be dragged every night to the room so that he would sleep and go to school the next day.

As he grew older, and started earning more and more money, he fulfilled his desires to get the best television available in the market.

Not only in their living room, he made sure that every bedroom in his house had a set, even his children’s. Though, all the family usually gravitated towards the one in common room, fighting and compromising over the content that everyone could enjoy. Animated movies being a favorite of all.

Even all his loved ones knew that the best gift for him would be an electronic gadget that could enhance his television experience.

His tastes changed over the years, from the limited options on Doordarshan, to ongoing cricket matches, to constant supply of news, to the serials and recently, he was on top of his OTT game with subscriptions to every possible app.

Not a mindless watcher, he selected only the best for the time available to him. His children picked up on his habit. Even his wife loved watching different kind of movies on television, not liking the crowd in theatres.

But, it was his mother that he loved watching television with, the most. When he came home an hour earlier from his wife, and the children were busy with their homework, he spent the time with his mother. They watched her daily soaps while commenting on every character’s actions. And it was the most grounding moment in a day for both of them.

Day 12

Chetna knew she would be a makeup artist at the tender age of five when she received her first doll.

She had taken great care to use her mother’s makeup on its bare face and painted it red almost everywhere. Proud of herself, she had presented her work to her father.

Laughing at their daughter’s antics, the couple bough her another doll that met the same fate. The parents gave up after the fifth one’s eye fell out while being made up by the mascara stick.

As she grew older and learnt that eyes were sensitive to poking, they volunteered their own faces for experiments. Her elder brother was not exempted from her trials.

The only rule they had was no makeup on her own face till she was sixteen. After that, she became an expert at not only getting herself but her mother ready without the horde of artists that were usually called for parties.

At eighteen, she enrolled in the best course available.

At twenty one, she took a loan to start her own studio that boomed in just two years, allowing her to open branches all over India.

But one thing they all had in common was that the waiting room had dolls for the children accompanying their mothers. And a make up set that they could use to experiment just like she did during her childhood.

Day 13

Abha was not ready to get married at eighteen. She decided to get her degree.

At twenty one, when she was proposed to by her boyfriend, she shifted to another state for her Master’s.

At twenty three, when her parents started looking for a groom, she shut them down by taking up a job.

After two year, the aunts and uncles started hounding her at every family function. She had left her job to start her own company.

Within five years, her company was the best in the field and had the most influential of people as clients from all over the world.

Everyone around her had given up on her marriage by then as she happily ran her business, “Dream Weddings”

Day 14

Rosh stole his neighbor’s newspaper everyday without fail. And kept his own on the mat instead.

He had been doing it for one year when the man next door caught onto it.

Rosh was leaning down on his door to exchange the papers when it opened and his friend stepped forward. Mohan was early that day in picking up his daily dose of news.

Rosh stood to greet him while he looked at the paper in his hand and then the one on the floor.

He laughed at his friend’s antics. And here he thought his wife had changed theirs to another one.

Rosh picked up on his amusement and joined in, “I get done by mine before yours.”

His obsession with news was known by everyone. Mohan just shook his head and opened the door wider.

“Come in. I will make us some Chai.”

Day 15

Heer was more excited about wearing the Nath than the lehenga on the day of her wedding.

She had seen her mother wear it since her childhood and found it fascinating. Yet, she was not allowed to wear one till marriage. It was an unspoken rule in their culture that this piece of jewelry was reserved for brides.

Heer didn’t let it deter her. She got her nose pierced as soon as her mother allowed and wore the appropriate dainty diamond stud her father gifted to her.

Over the years, she kept collecting every nath she fascinated in a little box that no one was allowed to touch.

For her, it was the best piece of jewelry that could adorn a woman, making her beautiful.

When the wedding date was set with her lover of four years, she kept the nath for last to shop. She had to make sure it was perfect, and went with her lehenga perfectly. It took her a week to find the perfect match and she glowed on that night. Her groom discreetly wiped off a tear that fell at the sight of his elated wife.

He helped her up on the stage, before whispering in her ear, “My, my Mrs. Heer, you are making that nath shine.”

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