Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Desire can lead to embarassment

Since a few days, I was drawn to images of a particular watch from the handicraft watch works of Ulysse Nardin. To be sure I did not hear of this watch maker before. The watch under the name El Toro was very exquisitely designed and the more I saw it the more I wanted it, but I was not sure of the brand. Little did I know that I was worried about the wrong thing.

The first thing that caught my eye was the blue leather strap. That itself should have indicated the beauty's worth. But no, the mind would not accept, I was still thinking I can buy this. The second feature that kindled my desire was the "automatic"or self-winding mechanism. I dont know why, but I am enamoured by such watches and I already posses two automatic watches. Any way back to El Toro, the exquisite desire of mine. My best half saw me a couple of times drooling over the images. She suggested "lets procure the desire". And then we started speculating how much would the desire set us back. I very very confidently(idiot) put a cap saying that it would not cost us more than thirty thousand Indian rupees. The Universe which usually conspires to make me happy must have been dancing in mirth thinking "this dhakkan deserves this." And then I checked which store in Pune stocks this - C T Pundole is an excellent watch store and the sales people know the stuff they peddle. Anyway I thought, if tis CT Pundole selling, I can walk with the magazine image and ask straight without any hassle. So I walked in and was accosted by a smiling cherubic sales person who cheerfully asked me what do I desire. I showed the print and he exclaimed aah! We dont stock this, we procure on demand only. My heart sank into the ground. This could only mean my pocket was not deep or colloquially speaking - mere paas chaddi nahin thi". But still, I would not give up, let me ask for the price, just might be possible that it would not be very expensive(Universe started dancing again). The cherub of a sales chap, took the magazine print from me, disappeared somewhere asking me to wait. I waited with abated breath(one of my friends would say balls in the mouth) hoping against the universe. A few minutes which seemed an eon passed and the cherub came near me with an embarrassed look and whispered in my ears in hindi - sir aaa. aa, aa,a 15 laakh hoga. I felt the world go still as my jaw dropped, and this time I could see the universe dancing. I was covered in red shame, embarrassed beyond redemption. I shuffled as fast I could out of CT Pundole. I felt as if everyone there were looking at me and laughing at me (as if they had nothing better to do). My best half followed me sedately tugging my son and carrying my daughter along. We got in the car. I drove home towards home in stony silence. My best half made some tea and then as I sipped the tea, I went over all that happened and just burst out laughing and then I could not stop laughing. I would have gone on a laughing spree if this were to happen to anybody else. But when it happened with me, I went through embarrassment, then indignation and then and only then could I get to the laugh at myself stage. Each time I went over it, I would end up laughing at me. Someday I would raise my chaddi high enough to get an El Toro, but would I want it then. I will let "SAMAY" answer that doubt.