My top ten

Some time ago, I read an article, in which the writer was talking about good-looking women being ogled at on the roads.

She said, "Do you know what is worse than being ogled at? Not being ogled at."

Funny and unfortunately true at times.

Now why am I saying this? Well, long story.

My good friend ROS knows I'll kick her ass if she tags me on any post. I'd rather not be tagged than be tagged and not be able to respect it. Someone tags you because they want to know something about you. And if it's too much pressure for you to blog on pre-determined topics, I say don't get tagged.

And that's why people generally don't tag me. Because I give them hazaar gaalis (a thousand abuses) if I see myself in their tag list.

So when I saw ROS and her list of 8 qualities in her perfect lover, I went through the list of people she had tagged, and sure enough, my name wasn't there.

Now here's the surprising part.

I have to admit I was slightly disappointed not to see my name there. (I guess I'm like the Bollywood heroine who says, when the hero takes her in his arms, "Chhodo na, Chintu aa jayega." And when he lets her go, she says in a disappointed tone, "Chhod diya?")

Anyway, what goes around, comes around. So here I am, tagged by Pradyot who was tagged by ROS for the same post that ROS did not tag me for. Hah!

Ok, first things first. I don't quite like the sound of the word 'lover' (it kinda creeps me out) so I'm just gonna avoid its usage. I assume that for this tag, when we talk 'lover', we're talking the kind you would wanna spend your life with. Cos if not, it will clash with the points in my earlier post on attached singlehood.

So here it is, my list. I have left out the obvious characteristics most girls would want in a guy, e.g. intelligent, caring, sensitive, understanding, must-accept-me-as-I-am, etc. I have tried to squeeze my very high expectations into 10 points (Sorry Prad, they wouldn't fit into 8!)

• I love to travel. It would be good if he did too. I need at least two vacations a year. (Yes, I'm the kind who'd rather spend her sad salary on holidays than on Gucci and Prada and blah). So if he doesn't want me to take off without him (which I will, if he's not the travelling type) he'd better be the travelling type.

• I love to cook. And I believe I do a good job at it. Readers who've had my cooking, care to validate? (A blog friend recently remarked that I don't come across as the kind who can cook well. 'Hmmmph!' is all I have to say to him.) It would be good if he was fond of food and not the 'anything goes' kind. I would want to experiment with food and he would be the guinea pig, so he'd better give me constructive criticism. Thankfully, so far none of my new recipes have been disasters.

• I am a health freak. I would definitely wanna marry someone who's active and just as big a health freak as I am. Smoking is an absolute no-no. The ideal case would be a tall guy with a good body who can pull off (both figuratively and literally) a black shirt with style and confidence. Sometimes gymming alone can get a bit boring, and it would be nice to have his company there. Laziness is an absolute no-no. He should always wanna do something, though chilling at home once in a while can also be a good idea.
  

• Like I said before, I can't live without the Internet. So I'd prefer a geek (a 'fun geek' though, they're the fastest growing breed right now) who should be able to fix my computer. Other geeky talents are most welcome. I know a guy who wrote an application for me to easily rename tags of my MP3 files. I was very impressed. Yeah, I'm talking that kinda stuff. Little surprises, involving things I can't do myself.
  

• Independence and individuality are very important to me. Like I've always said in my 'now-made-famous-by-ROS' hinglish sher:
  
  Naye rishte banane ke liye puraane rishte nahin todte
  Ek couple banne ke liye apni individuality nahin chhodte
  
  Wah wah!
  
  ("You dont sever off old ties to form new bonds. You don't let go of your individuality to be a couple.")
  
  (Wow. Wow.)
  
  He should be totally into me, but he should have other friends he can hang out with too. I don't want us to stick to each other all the time, or to only watch movies that both agree on. I don't want to be one of a couple that wakes up one fine day and realises they don't have any friends. And oh, I will not change my surname after marriage.
  

• A sense of humour is mandatory. I mean, c'mon, he has to live his entire life with my crazy self. It would just be better if he finds my stupid jokes funny. Most of the time, I'm kinda whacko nuts, I do things on impulse, and he should not try and control that aspect of me, or curb my wild side.
  

• Music is something I can't live without. So if he's gonna have a problem with my music, I don't think I can live with him. Well, I can try, but not if he's completely tone-deaf. (A guy who can sing Hindi songs and play the guitar at the same time would be ideal, but that can be compromised against other traits.)

• He should be someone who has opinions on things, and who can keep a conversation alive. He should be able to easily talk to my friends and family, and make them at ease. Hopefully he will be able to make them (and me!) laugh too. Our comfort level should be such that even our silences are not awkward, but kinda assuring.

• I take my job damn seriously. He should do too. It's not just something I do to earn money. It defines me. My job makes a large part of who I am, and I shall not have anyone belittle its value to me.
  

• He should be able to keep up with me, keep up the spark - the zing thing - intact in our lives. Life with me will not be a smooth straight line, it will be a crazy roller-coaster ride. And he's gotta live it up with me. A bit naughty and mischievous, he should always be upto something. Little surprises, little joys. Things that catch me off guard. I can't stand the laid-back "She's-married-to-me-where-can-she-go-now?" types. (Oh, believe me I so can go!) At the end of my tiring day, I should just want to melt in his arms and feel like I belong there. He should give me that kind of goosebumpy vibes.
  

So that's my list.

And nope, I'm not tagging anyone. :)