The Tenth Anniversary Blog

There we were, lazing around in our favorite place in the house, sipping some jeera-lime soothie.  Since Ram has taken up healthy lifestyle and started following fancy diets from his fancy dietician, we have been having our night time jeera-lime or turmeric-pepper-lime soothies at our special spot in the house – The Glass Corner.  That’s the place we’ve had some of the best times in this house, talking about extremely important or bizarrely mundane stuff, doing nothing at all, just watching trucks in lazy night.

Just a few weeks back we were having a random conversation about our past and talking about our MSN chat room days.  Back then, everyone in the common chat rooms we visited, knew we were a thing. I don’t remember how exactly this topic popped up but I heard Ram saying that some guy buzzed him on personal messenger and asked him not to “get involved” with me coz I told people that I hated wearing slips and how I liked being free!  As my first reaction, I laughed it out. I did not believe someone would actually do that. So after giggling a bit, I asked him again and sure, he wasn’t kidding!

In next few minutes I was completely freaking out about what the hell had happened!  Did the guy really slut shame “me”? He already tagged me as ‘Not a good girl’! So I asked Ram, why he did not confront or at least tell me about it then…or even later!  It had been fifteen years since the conversation! He gave that amused smile, looking straight into my eyes, “What would I have asked? I did not have any doubt that you would not say it! In fact, knowing you, I knew you definitely would have!”.  I did see his point! But still! He could have told me that people were seeing me as ‘too bold’! Or told me that it was not right, me being me!

Now when I think of it, it was just so so stupid of me, saying something like that to random people I met in chat room or even in private chat for that matter.  Almost like the moment in ‘Jab we met’ when Kareena realised what people were thinking about her in Hotel Decent and saying “Kitni Gadhi thi main!”. Well, for a 17 years old with budding A cups it was tough to learn to wear one all day!  It was a struggle to live with one on…heck! Even suffocating! Did you ever feel that ultimate relief of unhooking as you reach home? Or Did you ever see the expression of ultimate relief on your girlfriend’s or wife’s face when they get rid of that thing after reaching home? And I was stupid enough to say it out loud fifteen years ago when talking about panties, periods and pads were still a taboo.  Now even in my early thirties, I am not comfortable saying the word ‘Bra’. Weirdly enough, I still call it a ‘Slip’!

Okay! I am not really showing off or flaunting that I am “too pure” because there is absolutely no reason to. But the fact is that I haven’t touched or kissed another man in my entire friggin life! (Yup! Pretty boring, right?) And I am not proud of it or anything. In fact, Ram often jokes that I would have been the biggest homewrecker slash heartbreaker had I been single! So for the “greater good” it was awesome that I got hitched early in life! lt just happened that I met my dream guy when I was 17. So, did not have to explore more options. I sure got lucky and I absolutely thank God for that. But in conventional terms, I am THE definition of a ‘good girl’!  (Okay, not exactly! My mother would have loved it if I had opted for an arranged marriage and she totally believed that knowing Ram ‘spoilt’ me! But! U get the point, right?) AND THAT RANDOM GUY CALLED ME umm..NOT A GIRL TO GET INVOLVED WITH!!! :O

Somewhere in between having a fit of rage on a unknown guy, just for a second, I thought of what a 21 years old Ram would have been thinking while having a conversation like that with that guy and listening to him saying something like that about the girl he was in love with….

And I fell in love with him. Again. Like the millionth time.

In his arms.  Glass corner. Trucks.  That moment.

Happy Tenth, Ram!