Happy Diwali!!

Now since I am an Overseas Indian, I am supposed to think different. Think international, think big is what is been constantly bombarded on me. But, how do you take the “desiness” away from a “desi” like me? After all, I wasn’t born in this country and my language is different from theirs, including my English. And so does a series of things that comes quite naturally to me. To begin with, I don’t like the big unperturbed malls which miss all the chaos of a market or bazaar, back home. You don’t have the salesman too eager to please you and doesn’t mind bringing down the entire stock right in front of you. He doesn’t hesitate to keep showing you and even when you nod in disapproval or feel sorry for the mess you’ve created. All he does is flash his beautiful smile and say, “No problem, behenji (sister). Our job is to show you and just have a look at this exotic piece which I am sure you’re going to like. Please.” And looking at his salesmanship, you sometimes end up buying even if you were in doubt of whether to buy or not. “Dekne ke paise thori na lagte hain (It doesn’t cost you money to see),” says the sales guy politely and he wins your heart. Whereas, in this country nobody pushes you to buy. Take it or leave it is every shopper’s right. You can try all the things in the shop and not end up buying a pin because nobody tells you that “the pin looks awesome on you”. So people who need a little push to shop (like yours truly) go round and round all through the day without buying anything. Now, what a loss that can be to the sales worldwide! The other thing, my desiness, refuses to leave is the constant calculation that goes on the mind when you venture out. Everything and anything is in DOLLARS to which I unknowingly calculate in RUPPEES. The impact is devastating so much so that I end up depressed and sometimes waterless too, because water is far expensive than a can of soda! I miss my place of origin and keep looking out for Indian names on the street. Any restaurant reading Indian names makes me nostalgic and terribly homesick. The urge to barge in and hug my countrymen is immense. Wish the better-half wasn’t by my side to calm me down and do a reality check. And the food does the rest. Though Indian, if you go by the menu card, it taste everything else than what you are used to back home. And I don’t blame them either because they do have to cater to globalised palettes and hence miss its “desiness”. On the eve of Diwali, I miss India more. I miss the hustle bustle of the markets, the enlightening decorations of the households, the homemade sweets, the boisterous noise of the crackers, the loud make-up of the ladies and above all the fervour. Happy Deepawali…my readers and friends!