And the Award for the 'Best' Foolish goes to....

“Is shehar mein pagalon ki kami nahi Ghalib…Ek dhoondo hazaar miltey hain..” (There is no dearth of fools in the world, search for one and you get thousands, Oh Glalib)  I am not sure whether this was really penned by Mirza Ghalib, but being so witty, I think it could be.

Anyway, I never tried to search for fools, as I always was surrounded by them- wherever I went, they followed me like a magnet. I have seen the biggest of the big ones but there is one, whom I’d like to give the consistent performance award of extreme irrationality. 

I was going through some old photographs of mine yesterday. I saw I looked fairer, slimmer, beautiful and even taller. This old me was carefree, happy and sad for small reasons, trusted in the community she belonged to, the University she studied in, the Employer she worked for and the candidates she voted for.

This old me believed in whatever she did was in her best interests, and was right irrespective what others thought about it and strongly believed that she shouldn’t change.

She tried to control the environment around her- so that everything remains the same, even minimal changes distracted her.

She thought she’d always play in the park where she used to go with her father. She presumed the same hair saloon would give her the hair cut that suited her face so much for the rest of her life and her buddies would remain as close, forever.

She thought her one Masters degree would open all the doors to the corporate world and she’d rule the world and she would be able to buy her own bike one day.

She thought she’d always be scared of the dark and she would never travel/ stay alone as the world was full of criminals. 

She had ego that she thought was her self esteem. She stayed at a house which she thought was her home. She loved someone whom she thought was her man. She thought her life was ‘set’.

She thought she would never come out of the depression she was in. She thought the joy that she had got due to her success would keep her happy for the rest of her life. 

She thought wrinkles occur to only mothers and teachers. She thought problems come only to those who did wrong. She thought the easiest way to be happy was to buy a new frock.

She thought her baby brother would never mind what she told him. She thought her parents would decide on her behalf forever.

She thought she would dangle her bangles before her grandmother when she gets married. She thought they’d go to the same temple and would ask the priest for extra sweets. She thought death comes only to those in movies.

I was sure-none in the world deserved this trophy that I am carrying in my hand of extreme stupidity. Yes, I have earnt it religiously. I have given my whole life for this.