Friday, November 04, 2005

No more an aam aadmi

I recently realized that I’m keeping myself aloof from many things and no more than an aam aadmi anymore. I’m simply not getting effected by anything as aam aadmi is. No onion prices effect me. I hardly knew that what was I paying for a simple ring of onions I cut and then get tears due to that same onion. I now realized that those were not simple tears those were onion tears, coming right at the plight of this unknown Indian and now not so aam aadmi. I was hardly having any effect of prices of onion or other vegetables until I went home this month. Much before I read or saw reports of rising onion prices in markets, I came to know what had I lost already. Cauliflower being sold at Rs.10 per kg and onion at Rs. 15-16per kg and Apples at Rs.20-25 per kg and suddenly that huge roar by one hawker for selling his huge bunch of cauliflowers had done the effect. Those rs.10 per kg roar, made a huge cry inside and created a sort of turmoil in my mind. Somehow now everytime that Rs.10 per kg was roaring every now and then as I knew it was almost half the price I was paying for that same thing in Bangalore. And this price in Bangalore was totally unnoticed and I was not doing anything about it at all. Never even looked at price tags, just picking those from racks and putting those as new replishments onto my buying basket. And, finally paying the whole amount by the big spoiler credit card, that final signature completing my cycle of being no more an aam aadmi anymore; as if the whole amount paid for being an non-aadmi had gone for the polybags that covered the pack of sand socked potatoes, or washed and rewashed lady fingers or sometimes extra red tomatoes or sometimes blackish onions who would give me back those onion tears again.

The story does not end here as I lately realized that I’m also even living in non-aam aadmi society now. Again the same city Banglaore made me realize this, yes I’m talking about the latest talking point rains of Bangalore. Its just not raining water, its raining marriages too. It feels sometimes as if the whole world is getting married and I’m left alone for my own cause. And when its raining marriages how could it not rain honeymoons. And now these guys and gals marrying from this November till next February are simply not talking about spending some time. Mostly are going for foreign lands, even though spouse does not have a passport in pocket at present. Its amazing to hear that these sons and daughters of aam aadmis are thinking of going to Thailand, Mauritius, Seychelles, Europe, Star cruise in Singapore etc. and these days tea time or lunch time gossips or knowledge sharing or brainstorming are about the pricing, rates of these trips, and sharing the details by someone who has already been there. And I silently calculate my budget of going to each of these places with friends and then friends roaring back, which ‘honeymoon’ place is left in your visited places now. Then suddenly someone bring up that his wife asked for bringing vegetables etc and I again remember my Onion tears and realize where have I entered again.

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