Gals’: East-By-Northeast
They work very hard, but they are just portrayed as ‘party girls’, even in their native lands, by men who look down upon them as… well, as just ‘party girls’
It had not been even a minute that Siwani had posted her picture on Instagram, and with one swipe, she also made the same picture visible on Facebook (thanks to modern technology!).
Even less than a minute after that she got a ‘ping’ on the direct message of her Instagram.
An old male friend of hers, from back home in Sikkim:
Man friend: “Hey, what’s up?
Siwani: All good. You tell me!
“Well, nothing much here, unlike you guys there in Delhi who’s partying and enjoying-We are just working here in Gangtok. LOL (He had put that ‘Lol’ just to soften the punch of his meticulously crafted ‘bitchy’ line.)
Siwani: Oh, I feel really sad for you! Well, I guess we are the lucky ones then, abundantly blessed to only party and have fun.
(She gave it back to him, by the same token).
But before he got chance to react, she shut down her Instagram page.
She could have been much more toxic, if she had chosen to be, but over the years, she had stopped giving importance to such unsolicited, and what she calls nowadays, ‘illiterate’ comments.
She had lots to do, as she had just about finished work‑it was almost eight pm in the evening.
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Before that, she had had to tie up three official online meetings.
In lockdown times, these are difficult, even as one moves away from one inefficient conferencing software to another. Lines keep getting jammed or disconnected.
Then there was the con-call with the boss and three others about next month’s tours, despite the lockdown and international travel. Visas, currency…
Now back on her own, she heaved a sigh of relief, plomped herself on her bed and took a deep breath, but that was only for a few seconds.
As she alighted from her bed, she checked the note on her phone, wherein between her meetings, she had typed the grocery list that she had to buy‑potatoes, oil, garbage bag, facewash, pork, papaya and sugar packet.
She threw her laptop bag, and grabbing only her purse, she headed to get the stuff.
Siwani was the woman who hustled hard and knew to live her life to the fullest. But ironically, like lots of people, back home mainly, she was seen as only a ‘party girl. But Siwanis don’t care anymore, and continue to hustle in silence, happy and content with what they have achieved
The next two hours were like a battle of cooking, cleaning, peeling vegetables, arranging the clothes that she had thrown in the morning, before going online for work.
By the time she had finished all the work, and food was ready to be served, she was dead tired.
Her next one hour went in eating, again cleaning the used utensils ‑ it took another extra 15 minutes to carry on her regular skin care routine and finally, it was time to hit the bed.
She thought of watching ‘Lucifer’ on Netflix.
But she was barely on the screen for 20 minutes that her eyelids struggled to stay open.
So, finally, around midnight she fell into slumber so deep, that even if the earthquake’s epicentre was right below her bed, she still would not have felt it.
Her morning ritual was even more rigorous.
Her alarm went off at six in the morning: jogging for one hour, then bath, and cooking and breakfast.
Even a delay of a few minutes would mean getting late for office,albeit online, which started at sharp 9:30 am.
She dreamt and craved for weekends so she could unwind herself.
And when the weekend finally arrived, she would put on her best and most fashionable attire; with make-up on point: she would be ready to rock and party!
Click, click click…the innumerable clicks, of uncountable shots – she finally picked up the best-looking picture of her from those hundreds, and she posted on her social media account.
The caption read below her drop-dead gorgeous picture read as: ‘Happy girls are the prettiest- Audrey Hepburn! #happyperson #weekendlife #happylife.’
Siwani was the woman who hustled hard and knew to live her life to the fullest.
But ironically, like lots of people, back home mainly, and some people here, she only represented a party girl.
There are many such Siwanis’ from northeast here in Delhi who get the same tag.
But they don’t care anymore and continue to hustle in silence, happy and content with what they have achieved.
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