My makaan-maalik (landlord) Habib once suggested to me that I should get married soon. According to him, one should marry early, coz as one grows old (28+ according to him), the blood gets thick. Don't know how that is supposed to affect marriage, but I can imagine that he meant that the initial honeymoon-period sex won't be so enjoyable if you marry late. And for most of us indians who don't taste honey before marriage, this means a lot.
But for females, there are other reasons as well, to marry early. One female friend once told me that at a young age (below 30 according to her) females' bodies are stronger and more fit for pregnancy and fast recovery thereafter. As they grow older, pregnancy would take a heavier toll on their bodies.
Some elders have told me yet another reason for marrying early - marry early, have kids early, they're grown up sooner and you are done sooner with your familial responsibilities, free to live the way you like in your old age, when you are at your lowest energy levels. This comes from the traditional wisdom that one should work hard all youth, save money, make sacrifices etc. etc. hoping for a wonderful post-retirement life. It does make sense at some level though. Of course I don't mean to say that marriage is a sacrifice of any sort. However, implicitly we all, particularly married people, seem to believe that it is indeed a big one.
A lot of weird stuff keeps happening to me. Yesterday, my sister asked me the number of friends that I have. I didn't expect this kind of a question all of a sudden. I had never cared about keeping a count of my friends, and in that situation, I could only think of orkut. I have 170-something friends on orkut. I said an honest thank-u to orkut in my mind, rounded 170-something to 200, and told my sister the number. I then hesistated a little to ask her why she wanted to know the number. I did ask, coz she was staring at me, challenging me to ask the damn thing. And then she said what I have been hearing from my family members since I've started talking - that I talk very little. And she found it hard to believe I had so many friends inspite of my taciturnity. I tried to justify myself and prove that I am normal by saying that my behavior, and that of all of us, differs based on situations, and that I am indeed quite talkative in some circles. But I was not assertive enough, coz I was speaking in Telugu and I am bad at expressing myself in it.
My room-mate in my 1st year of Engineering at IIT Bombay had a similar observation. He felt I did not talk to anybody. I was indeed quite home-sick those days since it was the first time I was living away from my parents. Also, being from a small town, I realized I was quite behind the rest in terms of my knowledge about the hottest stuff in fashion, news, trends etc. I was also quite surprised at the kind of guys I found in the IIT - all weird guys, not at all geeks or nerds as I had been told, but quite the opposites in fact. The environment and people at IIT were quite different from what I had expected and I took a long time to get used to them. I did find groups which I enjoyed being a part of, and ditched those that sucked. I find it amazing how all things in this world align themselves to attain stable configurations.
It's funny coz till date, I've fit into very few groups. And there are very few people in whose companies I have been comfortable for long. My best company is myself. It doesn't seem to happen with others usually. Everyone tells me he can't eat alone in a restaurant, can't travel alone and can't watch a movie alone in a cinema hall. But I do all of those and I also enjoy them a lot. But I have some friends who are quite close to me and I can spend hours with them, and I enjoy each moment of that time as well.
A few days from now, I am going to join IIM Lucknow for doing a Post Graduate Program in Management, a.k.a MBA. I'll be one in a batch of 300 students - most of them guys, and a handful of ladies. Unlike my last academic experience, I won't be home-sick this time, having been away from home for 8 years now, lived in 4 major cities of India. I've even gone abroad all alone. I'm much more used to dealing with many kinds of people in different environments. I've gotten rid of many of my silly mental inhibitions. I am financially independent now, thanks to the banks who lend as much money as you want without the slightest hesitation, if you are an IIM student. And I am fully aware of what's the most happening stuff in every field. I am really excited about this opportunity to be in such a great place among the brightest minds. I will make sure from the start that I make the best out of each moment that I spend in IIML and use it to the full to achieve my goals in life, and have lots of fun at the same time. (Now I booze too.)
My Jiju, who does 'research' on nuclear fissile material at BARC for a job, is a self-proclaimed expert of economics and finance (both are somewhat different, I am told). Each time I meet him, he has something related to economics (let's stick to this) to discuss. His most favorite topics are Oil, Money & the Gold Standard and John Maynard Keyenes. The last time I met him, he asked me why the price of oil was rising? I said demand-supply and the falling dollar. He gave me a you-bloody-MBAs-are-useless kind of look and told me it was due speculation in commodity exchanges. In return I gave him an I-am-not-an-MBA-yet look, but he showed no pity. Wonder whether MBAs really know all that crap. Will figure that out in some time.
I happened to go to the Government Hospital at Bilaspur for a medical check-up. It was mandatory to get it done from there itself and get a certificate from the Civil Surgeon, who sits in that hospital, stating that I am fit to join IIM Lucknow. One of my next posts may be on my experiences in the Government Hospital. Keep reading my SochVichaar. Enjoy life.
