In past couple of years
the life in Kathmandu has become busy and has changed a lot. Everyone is trying
to work their @rse off to meet up their requirements. Last month when my friend
came down from USA, she commented that having a decent life in Ktm is similar
to having a life in out there. Everyone who lives in Kathmandu and who doesn’t
as well claims that it is one expensive city. I will second that. With a decent
job and decent salary, you can just meet your basic requirements. Now the
question is how much is a decent Salary? I will leave it to you to decide.
I love my work, even if
the pay is not so decent according to us who work there (LOL). Frankly, I am a much
budgeted person and I really feel taking a cab in Ktm is knowingly going for a
rip off. I like to commute in a public vehicle. One is its economical and for an
aspiring write, there are a lot of stories and characters you meet every time
you hop into one!
I have odd timing on
some days at work (There is this so called very important department meeting
which are so unimportant). Almost every day I take safa tempo to work, unless I
get lucky and dad gives me a lift. So those days when I go early to work, there
is this lady I meet. Normally you meet the same set of people if you commute in
the same time, same route. Aunty jee and I share the tempo on some given days. She
must be only couple of years elder to me. Since day one she stares at me in a
very odd manner. No I don’t think she swings in the other side. I think she checks
me out…no no still not in that manner.
Today I made it a
point, that I ll swing the story the other way round. I ll check every detail
of her and I will find out what she looks at. The last time when we crossed our
path, the whole time she stared at my nails which had French Manicure (the boys
can google it if you don’t know what exactly it is :P). My guess is she is a
private company employee. What did I notice today? She has been carrying the
same bag everyday whereas I change it and try to match it with my attire. She
has this smaller tote which shapes as if it got a lunchbox inside it. She got a
polyphonic phone where I am always fiddling with my smartarse phone and
listening to music. I love to paint my nails and it’s mostly maintained because
I don’t have to do dishes. She had chipped nails with faded nail polish. She
wore the same jacket entire winter whereas I think I had three different coats
and one jacket.
Why am I sharing all
this with you? Because today again I realized how lucky and privileged I am.
She is not jealous. She doesn’t hates me. But she looks at me with the
admiration that I have things and I enjoy it. She wishes to have things like I
do. She wishes she doesn’t have to wash clothes and dishes so she can have
nails like mine. I am her eye candy. She looks at me coz it fancies her. This
is what I feel. I thanked god for the life I have, maybe not perfect but its
better than a lot of others. This is a very trivial thing but it just made me a
little more positive. I have never spoken to her, but from next time I will
definitely gesture a smile towards “The aunty jee from Safa Tempo”.
