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The real MVP

 




Recently I attended a party in the swanky satellite town of Pune.I was going to  meet the who's who of society. I, the long-lost relative, decided to make a grand entrance in a pastel-colored salwar kameez, feeling all classy with my German silver jhumkis and necklace.

As I stood there, admiring the impressive entrance, out popped  the smiley housekeeper. Little did I know, my fashion sense was about to become the highlight of the evening. Whilst I was  sipping on whatever fancy drink they served,

my friend appeared in the hall ,  draped in a stunning shimmery saree. She looked at me, wide-eyed, and exclaimed, "Rani ssss, this is so not the party colour theme! Did you not read the invitation? Evening party, darling! Bold colours only!"  Who knew fashion rules could be so  party-pooping?

I carried on , sipping away  my persimmon mocktail, thinking life was sweet, or in this case, fruity .Suddenly, like a whirlwind , my friend's mom, also my distant-distant aunt, appeared on the scene. After the obligatory'namaskar-chamatkar,' she looked at me and exclaimed, "राणी, किती जाड झाली आहेस ग! मी तर तुला ओळखलेच नाही. म्हटले कोण ह्या काकूबाई आल्या आहेत?" Translated: "Rani, you have put on so much weight that not only did I not recognize you but also mistook you for some long-lost aunt!"

 My persimmon mocktail suddenly felt like a truth serum, and I sat there, stunned, wondering if I had accidentally stepped into a family roast session. 

Soon my aunt turned into the ultimate social investigator, grilled me about my hubby, kids, and, of course, mom. After confirming that everyone was fine, she seamlessly transitioned to the real mission: my daughter's age!!

Boom! Like a magician pulling rabbits out of a hat, she whipped out a list of eligible bachelors stored in her laptop. Double whammy –with that  she had cleverly conveyed 2 things to me.First thing that she was well-connected and the second thing that she was a  computer savvy woman too!

 I, being the dutiful niece, agreed to peruse the list and continued sipping my persimmon mocktail! 

Battling boredom, I waltzed to their balcony, and whoa, it was like stepping into a Bollywood movie set! Lights twinkling, roads cleaner than my closet, malls plush enough to make a poodle jealous, and high-end cars parading like it was a fashion show.

As I was soaking it all in,we all got the royal food summons.It was a feast that could put a food festival to shame! International cuisine strutting its stuff, and a battalion of waiters and housekeepers marching around.I was standing there, wide-eyed, not sure if it was  a family gathering or a Michelin-starred gala. The sheer number of house helpers was mind-boggling too ! Meanwhile, back in the UK, we do  the dishwasher cha-cha-cha on our own.I made a note to self: Consider relocating for the sake of culinary convenience and dishwasher retirement!!!🍽️🤷‍♂️

Mid-feast, distant uncle emerged from the party wilderness, asking about my  mom. I informed him about her  operation, and bam! He transformed into a self-proclaimed medical guru, a chartered accountant turned health consultant. Forget my medical training and the surgeon's advice;  knowledge acquired by him from Google and WhatsApp University were the winners!

Talk about the skepticism Olympics! Uncle, fueled by his extensive research (thanks, Google), decided that the UK's education quality had taken a nosedive. He had doubts about a surgeon trained there. Little did I know, his grandkids are currently pulling a Harry Potter in the UK education scene! Irony, thy name is family discussions. 😂🇬🇧🎓

The party turned out to be quite the revelation for me! Not only was there a blatant absence of political correctness, but the air was thick with sarcasm and put-down comments. I couldn't help but ponder the motive behind it all—does belittling others somehow elevate one's own self-esteem?

Surprisingly, I found myself navigating through the criticism with more grace than expected. By choosing to remain silent and refraining from retaliation, I reinforced the age-old wisdom that silence indeed is golden. Stepping out of that party, I couldn't help but feel stronger and, dare I say, the bigger person in the room. 

Sometimes, resilience is the real life MVP! 

10/1/24

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