March Master Plans
365 Days of F(ib)B-ing- Chapter 7
Day 59- March 1
‘Saree shopping’
Ma and I bought the saree finally. It is a purplish-blue dream with a huge traditional ‘mango’ design’(as Ma informed me) and a dull gold patterned border. It is simply stunning.
I have decided already to make a sleeveless blouse to go with it — just like the photo that came along with it. Ma does not look too comfortable with the idea but I have a feeling she is suspicious of the unknown devil aka the havoc I could wreak if left to think of an alternate design, so she has caved in.
Wow!
I love this trick — present only two options, one that you want and another that is so horrid that there is no choice left at all.
Hee hee!
Day 60- March 2
‘Everything sounds better with my new iPod and earphones!’
God, they are so amazing. I am glad I went ahead with this purchase. Only now do I realize what I was missing out on.
Day 61- March 3
‘Invited to a wedding in Goa!’
Dear Diary,
I am definitely going. I will just have to convince Pa and Ma that I have to go. Jessie has invited all of us to her wedding with the formal card at work today.
It is on April 26.
I want to go and now need to just prepare myself with counterarguments to anything Ma and Pa are going to say.
I want to go.
I have never been to Goa ever in my life.
I wonder if I have ever bad-mouthed Jessie in front of Ma. I hope not!
Ma has a fantastic memory and it would not do well to say I want to attend the wedding of a colleague I despise.
Ouch!
Day 62- March 4
‘Making plans!’
Ma and Pa agreed!
They are so chilled out!
Pa simply mumbled something about me being a grown woman, with independent means who does not have to ask permission for anything. For a second, I was stunned during our Skype session. No, he was not being sarcastic. He was simply being matter-of-fact.
Ma too murmured her assent while saying that I should be careful and that so long as I stayed at Bosco Uncle’s (Dad’s college chum) villa, she did not foresee any problems whatsoever.
It is ironic really — I had a little speech prepared about how I was all grown up and not a naive girl anymore and could take care of myself and judge people accurately. I guess I am not!
Else I would have seen that my parents had realized that I have grown up and had started treating me as such long ago. It was I who was still acting like a teenage kid trying to pretend to be an adult.
I feel so shallow and immature.
I must add this today, dear diary — ‘I love you Pa. I love you Ma. You are the best!’
Thank you for everything!
I am going to stop now as I am … well, goodbye!
Day 63- March 5
‘I love my Ma and Pa’ [Insert family picture]
I just had to add this post today. How thoughtless and mean that I never spared a thought for them. All that is going to change. I have made it a point to talk to them once a week at least.
What I mean to say is that I intend to talk to them at least once a week without ranting or raving or using them as my personal therapists and confidantes.
Time for me to act like a grown-up.
Oh, by the way, I went to work and came back at six with Ketan.
It is Happy Holi today and I did not want to be stuck if trouble brewed.
You can never be too sure on this day what with all the drunks (‘It is only bhang,’ is the excuse mouthed by most miscreants) loitering around and creating a ruckus.
Day 64- March 6
‘Dinner Plans with Ma and Pa.’
I asked Ma not to cook tonight. Pa, who almost always picks me up, will come tonight with Ma and we are going to have dinner at a restaurant of their choice. I told them we are eating out and it is my treat and that everything is decided and no arguments, we are going out and that is the final word. I left them with no choice really. The happiness and pride in their voices made me happy but guilty too. I have been so remiss in not being there for them. For taking them for granted.
I also remembered to ask if they were both free tonight before announcing the treat. Terrible, how up until now, I always expected them to fall in line with whatever plans I had made. (The family functions and stuff they ask me to come to do not count).
With noble intentions of making up for my pestilential behavior!
Dodwizenia!
Day 65- March 7
‘Who knew household chores took so long? Or that there are so many?’
Really, Ma is a saint. I mean, I made chai* (=tea) and breakfast, and that alone made me tired. Plus, I had not even showered or done any prep for the mid-morning prep or Saturday special lunch. Ma by this tine usually has finished with washing clothes and giving washed clothes to iron-wallah bhaiyya* and prayed for half an hour after a head bath and also managed to grab a minute each of talking to all the family members who call us or whom Pa calls. Incredible!
I am very impressed at her and appalled at my own indiscipline and irresponsibility. I am definitely going to change — from this minute — both my schedule and my attitude.
bhaiyya* = term for elder brother, polite form of bro/ dude
This is a part of the novel 365 Days and follows the adventures of Avantika, a young techie in Mumbai, and her real and virtual life. Read the previous chapters here: