Meri Padosan : Continues.

I had to write this post - my friend told me that my acidity is due to stress .She also revealed that my padosan is the cause of all my stress !

My padosan will come & ask for my landline phone.Once handed ,she will fumble with it .She has to be told to press the "Talk" button & so on.Still,nothing works,& I am forced to transform into a telephone operator & dial the number & hand it over to her ! And mind you ,this is not the first time ! I have lost count of the numbers now ! Good -otherwise ,I would be expected to dial from memory !

When we were to go on our trip abroad,she was happy.There was a reason behind it.They had booked tickets for a tour which included Thailand.There was a civil unrest there.Hence, they cancelled their visit.The tour operators said that they will postpone it.Since we were travelling to that side of the world where Thailand is located,my neighbour was happy that we will be travelling & returning before they embark on their trip ! This in spite of the fact, that our tour package never included Thailand ! I used to be under the impression that only the lady of the house was eccentric & soon realised I was wrong ! Her hubby  asked us, if all was safe during our tour as Japan had recently witnessed Tsunami & there had been civil unrest in Thailand ! We never visited Japan & neither their package tour included Japan ! After all this fius,they shopped like mad & got diamonds,shoes ,tees etc from their trip !


Last week, she rang my bell at eight in the night to borrow elaichi sorry  to get elaichi.It is not borrowing as she never had an  intention to return it ! She told me that as it was pitru paksh,all elaichis had been used up & her son ( who is an adult & employed ) wanted a sweet at that time ! I just gave in.I don't want people lying through their teeth .After all ,because she needed elaichis from me ,she lied.Sab paap mere sar par aa jayeega !

My padosi family is all of a kind - the borrowing variety.I had gone to the local pharmaccy store.My padosan's daughter in law  who stays with her in laws was also at the shop.I brought some medicines at the shop & paid.My neighbour's  bahu brought some shampoo ,cream,face wash etc.Then she enquired if the pharmacy store accepted credit cards.When that was refused ,she said that she will pay later & walked off ! I understood this as sangat ka asar- when a person stays in the  company of another, even for some time, ,some habits,do creep in our subconscious mind .They , then manifest themselves into the conscious world ! This borrowing was handed over to her, by her saas.Her saas is  notorious in our society for having  borrowed money & things from almost all the residents !

Recently ,I made an egg less  banana cake.I distributed to all my neighbours.My padosan came & praised my cake.I fell for it & told her the ingredients & that, I made it in the microwave.She  asked me the vessel in which I had made it.I showed the  branded glass ware which I had used.She hinted, that she might borrow it . When I mentioned this to a friend ,she quipped that even if the glassware breaks ,what are a few glass pieces, if peace can be brought with the padosan ? ! My neighbour is a non -vegetarian.She wanted to pass on the cake to her daughter's sasur ( father in law ) who is recovering at a clinic after surgey as he is a
vegetarian !

Next day ,my neighbour declared, that, she had brought all the ingredients for the banana cake & she wanted me to make it in my microwave & hand it over to her ! I informed her, that I had attempted it for the first time & by fluke ,it had come out well .She replied, that even if it gets spoilt,she will not mind.I tried to wriggle out of the situation by telling that bananns need to be over ripe for the recipe.Next day ,she said that she has pureed the banannas & she wanted to give it to me for baking the cake.I told her that  the microwave has konked out .She told me that all her purreed banans were getting wasted.I told her to make sooji ka halwa ( rava kesri )& add pureed bananas to it ! That would  be more yummy than the cake & does not need the microwave !

Now all my baking has to stop -lest my padosan learns, that the microwave is fit enough to make  the banana cake !

Muggu

The rat race

We all are part of the rat race -we participate in it & keep complaining about it.There is no compulsion & still, we refuse to leave it.The social networking sites are a hit as all can jostle for fame on the net by joining them.Some like me are so addictive that they can overwhelm their emates by flooding their mail boxes with emails .Some people are so much a part of the rat race , that, they want to hog the limelight at all events at all times & at all places !

Recently, at a cultural event, organised in a housing society ,this was in full display.A couple, both of whom, are professionals were busy hogging the stage ,the mike ,the applause & the prizes !

Their kids go to day care.The kids are very smart- they know how to extract work from the tution teachers-they will demand, that the tution teacher get their homework completed.The kids also ask the tution teacher to assist them in school projects.The tution teacher also takes extra efforts in making the kids score better grades at school in assignments,tests & examinations.  The kids are left by the busy parents at various venues during competitions & other parents are requested to pick them up.Obviously, as other parents, have ample time on their hands.

The said parents are so busy & stressed out that they park their vehicles without any care in the world ! Others are the receiving end if & when they ask the said professionals to show a little elasticity in parking.The professionals  belong to a sect which is known for its emphasis on gentleness towards all .This just goes to show, that some, by their very behaviour,  bring disgrace to the whole community.

Coming back to the cultural programme ,the said family has left the housing society wherein this cultural programme was held & still, the family wanted to bask in glory, at its former place of residence.They have moved on to a pent house in a much sought after  neighbouring suburb.

In the cultural event,the kids were part & parcel of a majority of the plays ,the dances & the solo singing.The professional parents ,who  are so busy, that they have no time to pick up their wards sang duets with their kids to an applauding audience.Really ,what were they trying to prove ? That though ,we are so busy ,we spend quality time with our kids & how ? In front of the whole society, lest they blame the parents  !Other parents & kids are made to feel that they are uncompetitive & not up to the mark.Degrading others to upgrade oneslf is unfair & ugly. The parents were encouraging their kids on stage to sing, even though the kids were unable to recall the lyrics of the songs !This led to the whole of the audience clapping .The applause meant ,"No more ".Thankfully ,the parents encouragement just stopped short of "once more " !

Naturally ,after so much PDA ( public display of affection ) ,prizes were given to the said parents & the kids.

Many of us may not like to do what the said parents did.Really what is more important ? Passive appreciation too is good enough .Sometimes of course ,it is better to express it openly . And this type of expression /s, in front of the world, just amounts to vulgarity & comes across as very crude.Moreover ,in such a race towards the finishing line ,one tramples upon so many, that many get hurt.How long can one continue like this ? Agreed ,that human greed has no limits & yet, we must stop somewhere.As someone has rightly said ,"the trouble with the rat race, is that even if you win ,you are still a rat."

Saathiya