So i went to this shop in dadar today. I went there with my mom. A standard ritual that i have been accustomed to over the 12 years that i have spent in this city. The shop in question is a blouse matching center. When we first came to mumbai, we used to stay in bandra. During our explorations of the city, we tumbled into this shop bang in the middle of dadar market. My mom has been a regular there since she is generally very loyal in her purchases. Owing to her inability to catch on and remember roads the responsibility to take her to this place fell on me. And so it has been ever since. Once every 3 to 4 months we make a trip to dadar market and mom gets her dresses made, altered etc.
In the past 12 years a lot of changes took place in my life. I grew up for starters. Had a lively and interesting bunch of teenage years. Entered adulthood but still not sure about my footing. Lots of things changed around me, so did my lifestyle. Dad prospered a lot and i was the direct beneficiary. But ad mist all this my trips to this shop were a constant. Once or twice i tried coaxing my mom into trying out some other place but she never budged. The attendants of the shop were by now familiar faces especially a certain short gentleman with a forever smiling face. All these years went by and we never exchanged more than a smile. Until today when for the first time we spoke. He has been working in the shop for the past 18 years out of which me and my my mom featured in 12 of those. An utterly genial man, had a pleasant conversation with him and finally got to know his name - Dilip Desai.
On my way back, i realised that i could have had this little conversation years back. Could have known him better and developed a better relationship and connect with the chop. But i have always since childhood taken a lot of time to open up. Initially i always appear very reserved practically a snob. Led me to think on how many such Dilip Desai's i have missed interacting with in my life. Thought about my life in Mica over the past year. I could easily have been more forthcoming and approachable than what i was. I do tend to build these walls around me which i let very few people break into. But i am missing a lot more by doing this than i earlier thought i was. I always have this feeling that i am being judged at every moment. A wierd feeling indeed but it is precisely the reason why i tend to hide myself and expose very little of what i am. Simply because i hate being judged. But now i shall try and not bother about being judged and be more open and look put for relationships with my fellow humans.
In the past 12 years a lot of changes took place in my life. I grew up for starters. Had a lively and interesting bunch of teenage years. Entered adulthood but still not sure about my footing. Lots of things changed around me, so did my lifestyle. Dad prospered a lot and i was the direct beneficiary. But ad mist all this my trips to this shop were a constant. Once or twice i tried coaxing my mom into trying out some other place but she never budged. The attendants of the shop were by now familiar faces especially a certain short gentleman with a forever smiling face. All these years went by and we never exchanged more than a smile. Until today when for the first time we spoke. He has been working in the shop for the past 18 years out of which me and my my mom featured in 12 of those. An utterly genial man, had a pleasant conversation with him and finally got to know his name - Dilip Desai.
On my way back, i realised that i could have had this little conversation years back. Could have known him better and developed a better relationship and connect with the chop. But i have always since childhood taken a lot of time to open up. Initially i always appear very reserved practically a snob. Led me to think on how many such Dilip Desai's i have missed interacting with in my life. Thought about my life in Mica over the past year. I could easily have been more forthcoming and approachable than what i was. I do tend to build these walls around me which i let very few people break into. But i am missing a lot more by doing this than i earlier thought i was. I always have this feeling that i am being judged at every moment. A wierd feeling indeed but it is precisely the reason why i tend to hide myself and expose very little of what i am. Simply because i hate being judged. But now i shall try and not bother about being judged and be more open and look put for relationships with my fellow humans.
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