Before I get into the actual objects of my post, let me give a quick little background about the real life uncles and aunties that I am going to compare them with.
Most of my North Indian friends would immediately understand. For the benefit of my non-North Indian friends - in every family - immediate or a little distant - there are always those uncles and aunties who are given undue respect specially during a wedding in the family even if they practically do no work except cribbing about almost everything.
“So late in serving the dinner”
“What kind of return gifts are these? Huh… In my daughter’s wedding, I gave them so much and yet this is what I got”
“Food was bland and absolutely cold”
“Why are they dancing so much on this loud music?”
“Chalo, finally he got married, though the girl is just okay in looks. God only knows what did they see in her”
… and many such useless dialogues.
Most of the hard work is always done by the groom or bride’s parents, brothers, sisters, sister-in-laws and even friends. This breed of relatives does nothing except such cribbing and yet they are placed on the pedestal by the groom or bride’s parents and showered with gifts.
Anyway. I almost always get pretty excited about weddings and what all goes behind the scenes. But I promise, this post is not about the weddings. I just wanted to give a background of the nature of such “unique relatives”. It’s true that I am missing attending any weddings and the food and the gossip. Shush… Stop… No more wedding talks.
So, recently we celebrated the bright Indian festival of Diwali and with Diwali comes a strange tradition of cleaning the house. It’s good in a way but very tiring. This year while taking this annual tradition forward, I gave special attention to some of the things in the house and could not help but compare them with those uncles and aunties that I just explained above.
Now, everyone of you definitely has at least one such uncle or aunty in your family. Think about them and read the rest of the post.
Because of the lockdown and compulsory Work From Home for the majority of us, some of these things have been savagely ignored exactly as the family ignores those uncles and aunties.
Wrist Watches -
I love wearing wrist watches and was almost about to give myself one on this birthday but then lockdown happened. Four of our watches (mine and Mr. Husband’s) are placed right in the center of our home. Although, poor fellows have been ignored. Yesterday, after a really long time, I thought to wear one and guess how it behaved? Just like that uncle of yours that you have kept in your mind.
“I have been here only for several months. You did not even check me or pick me up or wear me. Now, you want to show off. No. I will not work”
Poor fellow did not realize that I already had it’s replacement - the mobile phone.
IGNORED!
Formal/Party footwear -
The doors of our wooden shoe rack expanded when it was raining very hard in Hyderabad. Then they shrunk back to their original size and the cycle repeated a couple of times. However, they were never opened since March 2020 for many months. No office or school, no party or outing - no shoes. Only chappals.
Finally, one day my husband announced that he is taking our daughter downstairs for cycling and she excitedly opened the rack (with great difficulty - saw the face of your uncle?) and tried one pair of shoes after another. None fitted her. All tight.
“You forgot that you used to wear me whenever you went downstairs for playing? Now, you have not looked after me for several months. I will not fit in”
Poor party bellies helped her for a few weeks and then we went to Decathlon and got her a new pair of sports shoes.
IGNORED YET AGAIN!
Again, for Diwali, our cousin invited us over for dinner and I decided to wear my high heels footwear that I bought last December. I lay in the same position for many months and when I took her out, the strap just refused to get back in its shape. It took me some time (read: pleading) to convince it to get back in shape so that I can wear it and take it with me to the party. It obliged. I wore them. Thanked and have stuffed it back in the same place only to be seen next year. Yes, I cheated this “aunty” of mine.
Formal shirts/trousers/Indian wear -
Normally (pre-lockdown) whenever I would clean Mr. Husband’s wardrobe, I would neatly place the formal shirts and trousers on the middle shelf - the most sought after berth of the almirah and the t-shirts would be kept on the top shelf since they were used only on Fridays or weekends.
Similarly, my office kurtas and leggings.
Ever since the work from home had started (March, 2020), the new formals are the T-shirts and track pants or shorts and so the positions changed. I know, the “uncles and aunties” felt bad however, those who are helpful would get the best place. Ain't it?
One day I announced to my wardrobe that they are going to get new friends soon since Lifestyle had put up a stall in my apartment’s Club House. My office wears got excited and “proud”. Poor fellows felt IGNORED yet again when I introduced them with my new track pants and T-shirts.
Occasionally, I give them some (undue) respect and wear them. They feel happy. Then I wash them, iron them, fold them nicely and back in the cupboard to be seen after many weeks. While I am sweating hard to lose a few kilograms from my body and a couple of inches from my waist, these “uncles and aunties” sitting in my cupboard are praying hard that I gain extra weight and inches so that I could not fit into those. But little are they aware that I can always order big size T-shirts and new relatives (read: kurtis & leggings).
There were several other such “uncles and aunties” in my home (car battery was another one, btw). Tell me what are your “ignored-during-lockdown/WFH” objects or things in your home in the comments section below.
