We, women are intensely guarded about ourselves. This makes
us shrewd in a way that is mostly harmless, but it adds to our list of enemies.
For example, let’s say we walked into a party and liked a sari, jewelry, blouse
pattern or a handbag of another woman, and we wanted to know how and where they
bought it from, or got it customized.
Firstly, the distance between us and the woman in question
is full of the unseen reality called ego topped with a fog of jealousy. It is
so heavy and opaque that it weighs us down. Complimenting another woman or asking
her where she got it from is like losing our dignity for life. Some people have no qualms to appreciate anything that they like, even complete
strangers have given me compliments but for majority others, it is a mammoth effort to break
free from their comfort bubbles (where they are reigning Queens and everyone else
are just subjects) and ask the question. It hurts.
Once Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) said in F.R.I.E.N.D.S, ‘Oh its
okay, women hate me’ with pride. So we can safely assume that if you are
someone most women don’t keep too much company with then either you have
something that is too enviable ( rich husband, luxury car, branded wardrobe,
diamond jewelry being the common reasons) , or you have a great figure.
Now comes the second part of it. Suppose I leave my ego at
home and walk into a party ( in reality this is not possible, it’s like the
critics telling you to leave your brain at home and go watch Golmaal series)
and let’s say all women are wearing enviably pretty accessories.
Me: Hey your blouse is so pretty and perfectly stitched! Where
did you get it made?
Other woman: “Oh this is my mother’s blouse…hers is a tailor near our
family home…I think that tailor relocated…’
Mother’s blouse! It looked exactly like the one Shilpa
Shetty wore in one of her item songs. This
woman will tell you her email password but not her tailor’s address. She
safeguards his identity like one of her deepest secrets which can be revealed
only by conducting a narcotic analysis on her.
***********
Me: ‘Hey nice shoes! Where did you get these from?’
Other woman: ‘You like it ? I don’t know where it is from. Someone gifted
it to me.’
Since when did people start gifting shoes to adults? :-o
***********
Me: ‘Hey! Your earrings are beautiful! From where did you
get these?’
Other woman: ‘These are my sister’s earrings…I will ask her and let you
know.. .’
This is a temporary escape. We will not ask further
questions about where her sister is, as it is obvious that she doesn’t want to
say it. But if you insist she will not hesitate to say that her sister is a
nomad with no permanent address.
***********
Me: ‘Hey your kids are so well behaved and speak so fluently!
Which school do they go to?’
Other woman: ‘Thanks! They go to XYZ School. But the fee is high and they
spend a lot of time commuting to and fro. Also the admissions have closed…it
difficult to get into, you need to have recommendation letter from Barack Obama…blah
blah…’
This is a full sermon. She does not want your kid to go to
that school. Amen.
***********
Me: ‘Hey, what a gorgeous Kurti! Where did you get this
from?’
Other woman: ‘I bought this like five years ago…I don’t remember exactly…’
It is brand new. She bought it for this party the day before. I am not a
donkey I know what five year old kurtis look like.
***********
Me: ‘Hey how did you bake these cookies? Can you share the
recipe?’
Other woman: ‘Sure I will mail you dear.’
This woman’s first priority will be to block you or anyone
who asked the recipe from google chat.
***********
Me: ‘Hey how did your chicken fry come out so crunchy
outside and soft inside? Any tip you can share?’
Other woman: ‘No…I just put the chicken in oil…and I did it in the last
minute yaa’
We have tongues, woman. And we use it to taste food at meal
times. (Henceforth we will use it to badmouth you). And we have had fried chicken before; it’s not
our first time.
***********
Me: ‘What a beautiful neckpiece is that! Where did you get
it from?’
Other woman: ‘Oh thanks! My grandmother gave me this. It was made by a
goldsmith known to her. If you want I can ask her’
This woman I talked to is already in her late 40s. The chance that her
grandmother is alive is thousand to one, and even if she is, she may barely
remember her own name. And if you ask her this goldsmith question she may even
die trying to remember it.
***********
So basically, women don’t tell you anything. We divulge
nothing about ourselves, but try to extract every single detail about
other women. If we are successful enough extracting a little bit we are very
creative to fill voids with assumptions and spicy details. The secretive
behavior even to our best friends is one of the reasons why we say women are
more complicated than the intricate design on their antique jewelry.
Last week I met my husband’s friend at the supermarket. He’s
a cheerful guy and while talking to him I noticed his wrist watch which looked
very elegant.
Me: ‘Wow what a watch!
Tag Heur?’
That guy: ‘ Arrey, nono! It is Swatch. You know the Qurm City Centre?
When you go to Carrefour supermarket, there is a Swatch showroom on the right
no? I bought it from there. They still have it’.
I dint even ask him.
Image courtesy: Google images.
hahahaha!!! This was soooooooooooooo hilarious!!! I mean every line... I donno which one to quote!! I read.. and I want to read again!
ReplyDeleteThe only time I don't tell other women stuff is when there is sale. Lol!!! I want to get there and get my size :p
But I've met these women... who cook in minutes, who get tons of gifts and who wear borrowed clothes all the time!
P.S. I know you are happy that I commented within minutes of your posting. This is my thankyou for the ROFL!
I felt so special thanks a ton Nisha!! And glad you laughed!
DeleteHAHAHAHA, the contrast :P
ReplyDeleteSo true, when I complement my colleague on her new chinos, she smiles sweetly and then turns away and tells her friends that I'm jealous of her figure :D All I was doing was trying to be nice :P
Lol typical woman! Thanks!
DeleteLOL..
DeleteIoooooooooo this is me :(
ReplyDeleteI compliment but I don't divulge where I get my pretty things from. Why should anyone wear a better blouse than me or bake better cakes than me. There is a line of people already ahead of me so at least let me save what I have .
Such a funny post!!!!!
Thanks Red! But I do give every detail of where I get my compliment worthy stuff from! Never felt the need to be secretive! :-D
Deletehahahhahhaha!!! Firstly, you did a great job in unraveling the reason why most women hate each other. Given the trend to hide the source of our pretty things, I fear I too might enter the league someday. But that will happen around 10 years into the future.. when I become a Punjabi aunty.. xD
ReplyDeleteHihi thanks for the comment and welcome to this space!
DeleteHaha! That was a detailed explanation. I always used to ponder over the same reason. Glad to have found this article. :)
ReplyDeleteLiked it like anything!
Keep blogging O:)
Thank you so much Varun!
DeleteLol :D Women are such complex creatures ! And the post is absolutely hilararious ! Loved it :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much A!!
DeleteHahaha gotta agree with what Red said. Why should someone wear something better than me or have something nicer! I never ever tell who's my tailor even to my closest relatives but hey, my mom's got the skill to make people spill the beans so we know where most people go to or shop from ;) :D
ReplyDeleteAha that's really cunning you both! Poor tailor let him get more customers ya!
DeleteI'd always been such a blabber-mouth...Couple of years back there was this instance during a coffee break with d ladies in my team, I was waxing eloquent on the short-cuts i normally use to clean my house in a jiffy whenever i get wind of a short-notice guest coming & there was this lady (clearly an aspiring secret-life-management-guru) who leaned forward chidingly & told me..."Never divulge your short-cuts to anyone Amogha...anyone! You are not going to get any back.." gyaan of the year for me...or perhaps....gyaan of a lifetime!?
ReplyDeleteOh same here Amogha.. I do say details about these things...I do know what not to say but that's nothing connected to clothes or jewelry!
DeleteHahhahha..
ReplyDeleteDis is so hilarious..!!!
And very well written and summarised!
Cheers
Thank you Geet! Welcome here!
DeleteHahaha this was awesome. But, I don't do any of this, making the think for the nth time if I am a woman or not?
ReplyDeleteWhen people ask me where I get my stuff from, I even draw out directions for them :P. I don't care what they do, because I know that I will still look better than all of them. Okay I might be a woman now. Also, I don't compliment women. I do not feel the need to.
Okay, I am a woman alright!
:D
I am like you on this one. I do give details about where I got my things from. I also compliment others. That makes me a man may be :-D
DeleteI do the same.. But are only Indian women like this? I think women in USA are a little more open to complimenting...
DeleteYes that is true Sunitha. Even here in the middle east women compliment each other a lot without inhibitions.
DeleteHaha true. No wonder i mingle more with men than women :-P
ReplyDeleteHaha you mingle with men. I think I am a man :-D
DeleteThat man must be me in drag. I'm always dying to tell others where I got my stuff from. After all sharing is caring, no?
ReplyDeletePsst...Anita, you need a new set of friends.
Ya me too !
DeleteWho says these are my friends :D :D :D lol
Hahahaha..this is something so awesome to read.
ReplyDeleteRefreshing post :)
Thanks Noopur, and welcome to this space !
DeleteThanks for sharing this wonderful post, It is awesome.
ReplyDelete