The title is cautionary enough... this post has 'ego-tripping' written all over it. After all, its not everyday that you're treated like a very important person and majorly sucked up to. So when I step into this prominent outlet that wares that lustrous commodity called gold, people cluster around me as if I was distributing free tickets to a Himmesh (bah! I have NO idea why the multi-toupee-wonder is SO popular!!) concert to all and sundry. A beautiful lady, resplendent in a sari and a strapping, charming young man clamour for my attention, repeatedly addressing me as 'M'am', as in -
'Welcome, m'am'; 'What can I do for you, m'am?'; 'Please come this way,m'am'; 'Have a seat, m'am'; 'Would you like a drink, m'am?'. Please Note: This kind of suck-up fest only takes place when gold prices are up and shops are deserted. When prices plummet and hence, the shop is as crowded as a sabji-bazaar, no one gives bearshit about you.
So, I put up the 'pricey-customer' show too. Act I. I dismiss the lady by saying that I have business with one particular chap at the shop. So she can please get outta my face, thank you very much. Act II. I go to the chap who's grinning from ear-to-ear by now and hand him my order slip. "Please, I have to collect these today," I say. "Why, of course, M'am! Please have a seat, I'll be right back!" Almost breaking into a sprint, he dashes off, while beckoning someone to offer me (M'am again) a drink. "No, thank you," I say, "I'm not thirsty" (I almost wanted to feign the 'mineral-water-only' act, but I shunned the thought away... its too
passe). "But m'am,
please," he pleads, as if the stock of soft-drinks must be emptied today, "kuch toh lijeeye!" "Okay, okay..." I hurriedly say, getting very annoyed with the word 'M'am' by now... "I'll have half a glass, if you insist". With a satisfied smile on his face he runs off to get my bangles. And returns back with the gleaming ornaments. Its my turn to grin, I'm smiling in my drink by now. Weren't they just splendid! And I had every reason to be proud, they were MINE! I bought them. With MY
hard-earned moolah. Gave me an unbridled sense of pride. Though I'm not a big fan of gold/diamonds (what a lucky husband mine will be!), I must admit, when you're in the gold-store with all those shiny lights twinkling on the yellow metals around you, you just give in to the dormant admiration inside you. Of course, it pinched my rapidly-emptying-pocket when I had to shell out a fortune to acquire the same; but my wise (and also, extremely persuasive) mom tells me its an 'investment'. She totally drools over gold by the way, and dons it magnanimously, a sparkling ring on
each finger, goldchains, bangles, a bracelet and diamond-studded gold earrings (4 in
each ear... I kid you not!) all gracing her queenly-self. A walking-talking gold mine, we chide her. Potential kidnap target too, but she never understands.
Anyway, the tryst with my first gold-purchase complete, I happily troop back home and reveal 'em to mom. She's delighted of course! After some 'oohing' and 'aahing'.... she promises me she'll keep it safe in a bank vault. "Okay," I say, "You can have them if you want". "No, no!" she thundered, "Its yours... an investment, remember?" Yeah, yeah ... I do! You conned me into buying this, right?
The picture below (with me in a rather silly pose) will not display intricate designs on them bangles, but take my word for it- they're beautiful!
