An Evening...

Hi Friends, am here to write something different from my other posts (Mostly 55 Fictions!). Just thought of writing a recent experience I had in Chennai! Check it out!

This Friday evening I went to T.Nagar for some purchase along with my sister. I was selecting some salwar khameez and suddenly a lady appeared out of nowhere. She came and took the chudi I have already selected. I approached her, "Aunty I have already selected this dress". She replied, "Oh is it? My daughter will love this dress. Why cant you select some other dress?". I was irritated, but controlled my rising temper and replied, "Why don't you do the same? I am telling you I selected this dress, but you are asking me to select something else. See, this is not fair!". She immediately called the floor manager and started complaining! The manager neared me, "Good evening madam. How can I help you. By the way what's the problem here?". I told him everything and called the person who was having the dresses I selected. He came forward and confessed that it was the lady who was creating the problems. The manager took the lady with him and was speaking something. I was tensed heavily because of the problems, my sister came near me and told, "hey relax, she is a crazy. Leave it and start selecting dresses. Its getting late.". I nodded and started selecting the dresses. Suddenly I felt someone is nearing me. I raised my head and ended finding the lady nearing me again. "hey what you are thinking of yourself? All these youngsters are very adamant Stupid's. How old are you? hardly some 20 or 21 right?" I nodded my head saying 'yes'. "Haan! But you have been brought up in a very wrong way. Don't you know how to respect elders? This is how you behave with elders? Will you do the same with your mom?". I got roiled. My sister replied, "Aunty, what's bothering you? Its you who created all the problems?! But why you are talking about our parents! We too know how to shout and make a scene but we don't want to behave like you!", she turned to me, "what you are seeing? Come, we will move. We are not here for any fights like others!". I was feeling very happy since that lady was speechless after my sister raised her voice.

After this incident I asked my sister to stand at the entrance and I went to take my scooter from the parking area. There was a heavy rush when I entered there. It appeared to me as if someone called me. I turned around and saw none. So I started my scooter. Suddenly I heard someone telling "Hey mom, wait here.. I think That's Shruti". When I heard someone uttering my name and stopped giving throttle and turned back. I saw a guy approaching me. 'OMG! I have seen this guy somewhere. But where? In college? Naah! School? May be. Yes! He is the one!'. He came near me.

"Hi.. You are Shruti rite?"

"Yes am! You? But I have seen you somewhere."

"Hey, You forgot me? Am Anand. We studied in trichy."

'Yes. I got him. Its been a long time rite!'

"Errr... Am sorry Anand. How are you?"

"Thank God you remember me. Your face didn't change. So only I recognized you!! Girl, you are taller than me"

I Smiled and continued, "Hehehehe... Leave it da. Tell me how is aunty, uncle, your sister aarthi and Balaji"

"I am spell bounded! You remember everyone!! How Shruti?"

"Hey c'mon re! I remember everyone and everything! You shifted to chennai?"

By the meantime, Anand's mom came near me and asked, "Hi shruti.. How are you?"

"Am fine aunty. How are you?". The conversation went on and we walked towards the entrance where my sister was waiting. When I reached the entrance, I saw my sister flushing with anger!

"Hey dog, where you went off? Everyone was seeing me as if I got lost somewhere. Who is this?"

I couldn't help myself and I started giggling! "Hey am sorry ma. See Anand came to chennai! My classmate in trichy! Met him down there so it got late. Am sorry!"

Anand and his family were our neighbors in trichy and he considered my sister to be his little sister and used to call her Kutti (Small). He was very happy. He came near me "Hey is this kutti? She grew up na?!"

"Hi Kutti!"

"Hi na..(brother)"

They were speaking about their childhood secrets. She thought anand to be her bigger brother and would confess many things. Suddenly he turned towards me and started asking questions.

"So tell me how is aunty and uncle?"

We both saw each other not knowing to reply my friend!

I tried diverting the topic, "So got placed? When is DOJ"

I never knew he was noticing our facial expressions, "Shruti! I asked about aunty and uncle!"

"Anand dad is not in station"

"Aunty is still a teacher huh?"

I didn't know how and what to tell him. "hmmm.. Naah!"

"You mean she is a house wife huh? By the way, you both came alone for purchasing? Why aunty didn't come?"

"..........."

"Shruti? What happened?"

"mmmm... Naah! Nothing! Am fine"

Suddenly the lady stormed from the shop with another lady and saw me and Anand speaking. She came near me and spoke loudly "Oh God! These girls always roam around with lovers. They hug them closely and sit in bikes"

I thought 'OMG! She thought me and anand as lovers!'

She continued, "We can't find even a single good girl around here! All roam around with their boy friends! This girl and her sister fought with me inside the shop for a single dress! I too accepted my mistake and left it. Even I thought they are good girls. But after seeing this girl with this guy, am understanding everything!"

I was confused, 'Anand is my friend. Even his mom was standing near us. Am standing near my sister! How dare she thinks like this?!'

She was still speaking, "... She didn't come with her parents. Her sister also helps in her love I guess! See that guy, he is looking very decent. She cheated her parents and came off with her sister for seeing this guy!"

I understood she was saying wrong things about me only for the fight that happened inside the shop.

Anand face turned red with rage. He stepped forward to have a brawl with a lady. I caught hold of him and asked him not to make it a big issue. Anand's mom also told the same. That lady saw me like an extraterrestrial being. Only then I realized I was holding Anand's hand. 'OMG! What I have done. I have given flakes to an empty mouth!'

"Ahhhh... I told na, they are lovers! See that girl is holding that guy's hand! This girl......" (She was speaking something.. Am not willing to listen any such crap! I wanted to tell her, anand is my childhood friend!)

I went near her, "Enough aunty! Stop it! Even my friend's mother is standing near. Can't you see that? If am cheating then why the hell should we speak in front of our parents! Without knowing anything how come you blame me? Do we know each other before? Who gave you the rights to speak about me haan? Reply me! "

She replied casually, "haa! am seeing 1000's of girls like you everyday! They all cheat parents and come here and roam around! You are one among them. You are holding a guy's hand. You are moving in a society! You don't have that basic manners? Blah blah blah......"

Something in her words struck me hard! I bid goodbye to anand and his mom and reached home. After reaching home I was munching over the happenings of the days. I remembered I was feeling something disquieting about the lady's speech!

Yes. Its the word SOCIETY brought in a raw feeling inside me! Being a girl I know how to behave with guys and how to maintain my limits! Why people are behaving like this? Shouldn't a girl speak with a boy in public? Can't the guy be a close friend? Why girls are restricted for this? Even my mom has known all my friends. Speaking with a guy in public means its LOVE! OMG, Why people are still like this! Even I accept that some people in the name of 'Lovers' do certain atrocious things even being in public. But we can't stamp everyone is like that!

I don't know if the same condition prevails in all parts of India. But in our state its still there, When people are going to realize the true meaning for friendship? I remember a poem about friendship, i would love to quote it here and am dedicating it to all my friends!

Friends will come and friends will go,
The seasons change and it will show,
I will age and so will you,
But our friendship stays, strong and true.
- Author Unknown -

I hope I did justice for the 'Art of Writing' by taking up this real-life topic. Please feel free to express your views in my comments section!

With Love,

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