Thursday, February 23, 2006

Jeans forever

So the other day, I opened my wardrobe and almost screamed.

No, there was no dead (or worse, alive) lizard in there. I had just seen something rather shocking.

When your wardrobe starts to look like 'a huge random pile of tangled messy things', and you can't tell where one piece of clothing begins and the other ends, it's time to call for help.

My crazy schedules leave me no time to maintain a neat wardrobe. I'm lucky if my droopy eyes can spot something to pull out at 6:30 in the morning from the big pile, pull it on and rush to work.

But the shocking sight was too much for me to take. I decided to do something about it.

So I asked a friend who'd come over to help me sort the clothes because it looked so intimidating it was beyond my humanly capabilities to handle it myself. We took everything out and started folding and sorting the clothes into neat little stacks on my bed. Soon you could not see the bedcover. Stack of trousers, jeans and three-quarters. Stack of T-shirts. Stack of shorts. Stack of short skirts. Stack of long skirts. Stack of 'clothes that are too fancy to wear to office'. Stack of night dresses. Stack of singlets. Stack of formal clothes. Stack of Indian clothes. Stacks and more stacks.

And during this process, I discovered some clothes from ancient days. Clothes that I had forgotten existed in my life. Some very special ones at that, that I used to simply adore. As I picked one up, and stared at it in suprised amusement, it struck me suddenly.

The clothes in our wardrobe are like the people we meet and become friends with.

They come in all sizes, shapes and colours. We acquire more and more of them as time passes, and we lose many of them along the way. Sometimes we look for them consciously, and sometimes something just catches our fancy and we grab them before they can slip away.

Some are favourites. We're seen most often with them. They make us happy.

Some seem to hug you, others make you uncomfortable.

Some only make sense when put together. Others can hold their own.

Some are with us all the time. Even though they may not be visible on the outside. But they are there all right.

Some are very bright and cheerful, and it's not easy to ignore them. You can spot them even if they are at the bottom of the huge messy pile. You can't get them out of the way, no matter how much you try. They have that spark, that quality to make their presence felt.

Some just seem to complete you.


In the case of some, you feel proud to have discovered them. Even though they were there for everyne to see, it was you who found them. And they're all yours to keep. But one fine day, someone else - a sister, a friend or a cousin - likes them so much, they just take them away and never return them. And you have no choice but to let go.

And there are some you just have to give away. Just because the time and situation demands so. No matter how much you love them, you have to let go. You just don't get along any more, and you have to face it things are not the way they were in the beginning. They just don't make you feel the way they used to.

Then there are the fancy ones. You're only seen with them once in a while. Those are the ones that get mixed reviews. Some people feel that you can't pull off something that fancy, while others see a new you.

Then there are the secret ones, which you'd rather not disclose to anyone. You got them when you were on a shopping-high, and you really like them, but they don't really go with anything else in your wardrobe. So you hide them deep down and hope no one ever spots them. But you never throw them.

Some look great when you first see them, but after you've brought them in, you realise they are not what you thought they were. Perhaps you'd seen them in a different light earlier.


You need pegs and hangers to hold some, otherwise they will slip away. Others will stick around no matter how rough a treatment you give them.

Some need more care than others to last longer. If you don't follow instructions, they may change colour.

And sometimes, you see some and sigh, "I had one exactly like that... years and years ago..."

And finally, there's that pair of jeans which stick with you for years and years. And years.

Because when it comes to comfort level, nothing else even comes close.



42 comments:

Anonymous said...

Purani Jeans aur Guitar----A nice song

A thought provoking post

T C

Anonymous said...

Hey.... nice analogy....but dont u think clothes are a shade better?....no gender bias, possible to xchange, they dont talk back nd most of all they can stay in your room all night long without ne hassles :-)

well wisher

Abi said...

Sayesha, I saw ur that singer dude u like - Shaan - on TV yesterday!! I'd never seen him b4 but it totally made me think of you.

Anonymous said...

Wow, back to regular post!

Mazaa aa gaya padh ke....

Anonymous said...

Jesus christ woman! Why do you keep equating every object you can lay your eyes upon to the people in your life?? It is all so contrived and artifical. What next? The contents of your refrigerator?

The foul curd reminds of the my enemies.
The eggs remind me of the bald people in my life.
The fish reminds me of the Bengalis I know.

Jeez!

Chitra said...

Ha ha .... who is the 'jean' Sayesha?? :) :)

Anonymous said...

awesomeee :)

Sayesha said...

#HoliDevil,
Oh yeah, that song! A couple of my friends were absolutely crazy about it! :)

#Well wisher,
Hahaha! No gender bias? Are you sure? ;)

#J'Adore,
Hey, thanks for remembering me! I wish I had the time to see him on TV! Next year, baby! :)

#Mitthu,
Thanks, dear! :)

#Anonymous,
//Why do you keep equating every object you can lay your eyes upon to the people in your life??

Hmmm... I can't remember when I did this last, so you see, it's not as 'planned' as you think. I blog about whatever comes to my mind, and if that sounds contrived and artificial, don't read it. You see, I'm not gonna stop blogging just because you don't like my posts. :)

And oh, I almost forgot. Why don't you identify yourself when you comment, instead of hiding behind the mask of anonymity? Come on, who are you afraid of? Me, the inconsequential blogger who writes contrived and artificial posts? Think about it. You're giving me more importance than I deserve, isn't it? :)

#Chitra,
Hee hee! The jeans? Well, I have a few... been with me for years now! ;) And I hope they stay! :)

#Spark,
Thanks! :)

Anonymous said...

Let me guess...clothes are (also) like 'relationships'?! ... you may be on to something big here! :O

...just kidding...:P

On clothes...well all I have to say is I do wear them...but grudgingly...

Cheers
kais

Anonymous said...

How will me identifying myself change anything? I don't know you and you don't know me. I stumbled onto this blog a few weeks ago. I write what I feel about your writing. Or do you just want everyone who comments here to appreciate what you have to say and that you are the best thing since sliced bread and a blog goddess? And did I ask you to stop blogging?

Aslam

Rays Of Sun said...

Hum jeans hain..I am sure;)

Macho Girl said...

So much from just arranging ur closet? :O Wow!!!!! Whenever my wardrobe becomes a mess, i just clean it without giving anything a thought! Thats probably coz whenever I am on a cleaning spree, i play music on full blast to keep boredom at bay.

But thats quite a good analogy. Make plenty of sense to me :)

Unknown said...

Wow! I can relate to this post too well, only because i went through the same emotions just 2 days back! :D

Thanu said...

2 things that need to be clean all the time for me is my kitchen and closet. I can never see my closet messy.

It is true some firends stay eith us through all time, jsut like our favorite jeans.

Shekhar said...

I tried posting this comment a few hours ago..but blogger would not allow me to...Grumble!! Anyway, here is what I was trying to say...

"Cool. One anonymous comment praising the analogy and the other one hating it. Tussi to blogger's world ki Queen of Controversial Topics ban jaogi. :D

[P.S. You've been tagged by yours truly. Do visit. And yes, it don't matter whether the response to the tag is by way of yet another analogy or not. Your writing still provokes the mind to think. :)]"

Anonymous said...

Wow....Sash. Super comparison. I never thought in that angle before. And I am going to read this post once again. It made me think of different people in my life..

And my wardrobe is in a mess too....have been meaning to get to it since a long time. Sometimes I just can't seem to find what I am looking for :-)). My lost friend....where aaare you...:-).

Sayesha said...

#Kais,
Hmmm.. come to think about it... clothes are also like relationships! Aha, material for my next post! Hahahaha! Kiddng kidding! :D

#Aslam,
Hi Aslam, nice to meet you. Let me tell you how identifying yourself will change things. At least now I know you're Aslam, someone who's been around this blog, and not random chap who stumbles onto my blog, anonymously spits venom about my writing and goes off on his way.

Do you walk up to complete strangers on the street and say, "You suck, man!" Do you? :) But you can say that to your friends, can't you? :)

Identifying yourself just makes me take you seriously, my dear, that's all. :)

(And I use the term 'identify' loosely here. I am not asking for your real name and address, just a little something to help me understand where you're coming from, so I don't dismiss you as just another bloke full of negativity.)

//Or do you just want everyone who comments here to appreciate what you have to say and that you are the best thing since sliced bread and a blog goddess?

No I don't. I have been blogging for a year now and I have had my fair share of brickbats as well. And I have taken them in my stride if they add anything to my life. But pure spite has never done anyone any good.

If you don't like the post, say so. Tell me that you don't see the analogy. And I will bow my head to you and tell you that you have every right to disagree with the content of my post. It's merely my thought, and I am not trying to map it onto others. If people identify with it, they say so, otherwise they shake their heads and walk away.

Saying things like "Jesus christ woman!" and "What next? The contents of your refrigerator?" and "Jeez!" is not gonna help either you or me. Go read your first comment again and think about it. :)

//And did I ask you to stop blogging?

So what was the point of your comment? My contrived and artificial thought process and writing suck, right? Sorry, that's not gonna change for you. I choose to keep on writing. You can choose to stop reading. :)

ps: And I really really appreciate you identifying yourself, Aslam. Even though it may just be a pseudonym, at least now I feel like I know you. Thanks. :)

ROS,
Yes, dear, the chatur chaar are jeans! :)

#Macho Girl,
Next time I will call you for help! Muahahaha! :D

#Vik H,
Oh you did! Hmmm... remember the school days of 'best friends' and 'bestest friends'? Where did they go, huh? :|

#Thanu,
You inspire me! :)

#Shekhar,
Arre yaar controversy toh is blog ka middle name hai! You know what, most MACs think that I have a problem with criticism. I don't. I only have a problem if spiteful comments with no purpose are posted. We've had a lot of constructive debates on the content of the posts many many times. But if someone's just gonna criticise my writing style without adding any value, they're better off not coming this way again, cos sorry my writing style's not gonna change.

ps: About your tag, I had already written it some time ago here.

Muahahahaha! :D

#Harshi,
Hahahaha! Hope you can get yours cleared up too! :)

Mary said...

Great post Sayesha! :) loved it!
With my favourite clothes I love them so much I never want to wear them in case they wear out! lol :P

Macho Girl said...

:S

er.... i am sure u will keep ur closet clean from now on and won't need any extra cleaning!!! :P

Here's the deal. U help me clean my closet, i'll help u clean urs... the ball is in ur court now.. deal or no deal?! ;)

Unknown said...

I did the exact same thing last weekend. Up until the wee hrs of the morning. Found so much stuff that's back in fashion! =)

And my jeans never last me, no matter what the brand, fit, color.
Wonder what that says about me. *gulp*

Shriedhar said...

gr8 analogy!!

like 2 add one more analogy...

even if same type of cloth is used for making millions of clothes, it's their design,color,comfoting nature that catches the eye.

Anonymous said...

hiiiiiiiii sayesha!
just went through ur hop-scotch archives... and i really had fun reading about ur travels.... a female discovers what it feels like to holiday betwixt guys and all the "girl watching" that goes on... females rarely seem to understand all that.. well yess u are one of the guys.. really!

was feeling quite low today, but u made my day. thanks!

ritzkini said...

/*And finally, there's that pair of jeans which stick with you for years and years. And years.*/
:)
good one...
:)

Rays Of Sun said...

Kya yaar! some people choose to look at stale food in the fridge and fishes and relate them to people whom they dont quite like! and then they critiicize you coz you look for beauty in smallest things!
Aah people will be people..I am surprised that junta emits foul and still comes back and reads;)and also care for what you have replied to their comments:D

Shekhar said...

Oye teri, mainu pre-empt kar gayi...

Anonymous said...

hi sayesha wats the whole point of blowin up lik dis..u no watevr u write dere wud alwayz be pepl who wud admire,pepl who dont quite agree, n den pepl who just dont care..so if anyone disliks anythin, since u hav enabld a comments section dey wud also express demselvs..doesnt mean dey wantu 2 stop writin or anythin..its prob da first thot dat came 2 dere mind n if dey found it annoyin obviosly jeez, woman etc wud b da words dey wud choose..n den da very pepl wud say "awsum" for sum other post..sum wud find a particular post boring n still others wud find da same post rockin..its nuthin 2 do with ur writin style..n no one expects you 2 change it..n dont u think its gud to get all kinda perspectives..khushwant singh once wrote dat he dozzed off watchin a famous satyajit ray movie.. :-)dats wat sum wud lik a particular post sum wudnt..n its ok if dey express dat..n im not revealin myself bcoz u never askd me 2 reveal wen i left sum nice comments on ur blog..all in da rite "spirit"..cheers to sayeshaz..

Sayesha said...

#Mary,
Thanks! Yeah, some clothes are just too precious, aren't they? :)

#Macho Girl,
I will need to do an inspection of your closet first. If it's messier than mine, the deal's off! Muahaha! :D

#Jupiter,
//Found so much stuff that's back in fashion! =)

Hahahahaha! Cool! :D

//Wonder what that says about me. *gulp*

Man... reminds me of my black pants that started getting a little tight. I didn't throw them, but kept them till I gymmed myself back into them! :P

#Shridhar,
True :)

#Anat,
Hey, thanks and welcome to Hopscotch! Yeah, I had many a bird-watching sessions with the guys... makes me wonder at times... guys look at gals, gals look at gals... who the hell looks at guys yaar?

#Ritzkini,
Hey you! How's it going man? Showman in Oman? (sheesh!)

#ROS,
I have to deal with this issue properly I suppose... coming up in my next boring post! :D

#Shekhar,
Pre-empt kar gayi? What did I do???

#Anonymous,
I'm not blowing up, my dear. If I were blowing up, I'd show all of my pretty fingers and say "Get out of my blog."

Ok, let me put it this way. You do know that I reply to every single comment on my posts, don't you? I don't ignore any comment, no matter how judgemental, spiteful or hateful it is. Now if someone leaves a comment like that, I really have nothing to say in my reply. And these guys don't leave a name or any sort of reference. Just goes on to prove that they are afraid to come out and say it in the open. People like that don't deserve attention. But my policy is to reply to every comment... you see what I'm getting at?

If you write good stuff as Anonymous, I can thank you and get away with it. But if you write spiteful stuff as Anonymous, I have nothing to work on. You gotta give me a bit more -- something more constructive maybe? A good debate is always welcome, but just saying 'Sayesha sucks' is not doing anyone any good, is it? Except upsetting me (yes, it does, for a short while).

What say? Got my point? :)

virdi said...

ya ya ya... Aslaam Bhai ka jeans... ;-) i know i know... comfortable toh hoga hi....

V...

Negative Creep said...

Hahaha... i actually thought Aslam's comment was pretty entertaining and what's more he does have a point.. no offence to Sayesha, but really, sometimes things are just things... While drawing analogies between certain occurences or everyday incidents and the fundamental concepts of life and friendship makes good reading once or twice, and you do write it pretty well, but i find it slightly pointless... As pointless as say, a seminar on Happiness i read about... i mean, a seminar on happiness is possibly the most worthless waste of time i've heard of... not to mention i find even the idea of paying to hear some neurotic manic depressive in denial on mind altering pharmaceuticals raving about how he discovered this magical secret of being happy, when the truth is that he's so desperate to be happy that in a pathetic and desperate attempt to be happy, he starts believing in the facade of the contented uncaring individual that he built for others, pathetic, sad and denigrating... but i digress... My point was, there's only so many times the same technique works... In fact, to be honest i only read part of the post, i couldn't bring myself to read all of it because it's just a rehash of what we all know and what we've read on your and a million other blogs, not to mention in thousands of faux-philospohical, wanna-be intellectual books which preach the same trash again and again without even thinking about the message they're sending... This is possibly because of the fact that most of the literature i read is somewhat more forceful, less preachy and essentially, less idealistic and more violent and real than most of the books we're taught to regard as classics... i know it seems like that doesn't have any connection here, but it's just that i have slightly different taste, and i tend to baulk at such posts, and the fact that i've read through the two or three earlier posts you've posted in the same vein is only a testimony to how much i love the way you write... I probably couldn't write as well as you in a million years... so don't take this as a spiteful comment, i'd just like you to see you put your writing skills to use on something slightly more original, interesting and most importantly meaningful... Of course, i'm not really asking you to change the way you write, after all you write for yourself and not for others, but i'm just putting in my two bits here... Cheers...

Negative Creep said...

And as for Aslam's comment, don't take it to heart... I used to get slightly worked up at coments like that, but then i realised i actually do the same thing on other people's blogs albeit not anonymously and that he's only just speaking his mind and now actually i like these sort of comments because it gives me an opportunity to debate, put across my point and talk to the someone with a different angle to what i'm saying... of course, i find debating and arguing extremely satisfying so it's not for everyone, but comments like that are actuially good... better than all the good post comments which do nothing but stroke your ego and rarely add anything constructive to your knowledge, or give an honest, unbiased critique of your writing abilities...

Anonymous said...

#Aslam,
"The eggs remind me of the bald people in my life."
that was hilarious..!!! now im gonna laf everytime i open my refrig n c eggs!!..gud one..

virdi said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Shekhar said...

Pre-empt kar gayi in the sense I tag u today and you've answered me back in July 2005 !! Uee maa..scary. [Just one of those days when I've had too much coffee, so don't think much about my comment, just read it. :P]

To answer the question that you posed to Anat, NOBODY looks at us poor guys. :((

And Jesus, what a whole lot of argument has been triggered off!! He he. Ahhh people...

Neha Sinha said...

:O :O :O

what's goin on?? :O

:|

R said...

WHO wants a neat wardrobe re! :P

You had lots of stacks. Rich babe, huh?! That's what happens when you earn. HOW I WANT TO SPEND MY OWN MONEY! Grrrrr

//The clothes in our wardrobe are like the people we meet and become friends with.
Ah. What a comparison. Chaa gayi Sayesha!

Well written. Awesome.

Like this pair of jeans I have, I dont even think it will fit me now :D

R said...

And yes, Purani Jeans. Nice song!

R said...

*crying*
*crying*
*crying*
BOOHOOOOOOO

I don't know how to use the bloody Microsoft Outlook. And thus I cant figure out what's your email address..

Please email kardo.. rohittalwar28@gmail.com...

I tried a lot, but the silly thing was trying to open MS Word to use it as a word editor. Isn't that crazy?

Anonymous said...

hi sayesha!i like ur writing!enjoying yr blog v much!

Unknown said...

so i guess our thinking was attuned into similarity at that particular time thro some telepathical phenomenon! :P...Oh yeah, i guess we could revive a few of those terms now! :)

Adi Oso-Groot Finch said...

mere wardrobe mein sirf 2 type ke hi clothes hain - jeans n t-shirts

there are a few samples of other types as well but they keep suling in the corners while these two make hay. unfortunately this gonna change soon as i rejoin the corporate life.

another thing.... meri MBA aaj poori ho gayi!! hurray *jumpin around*

Anonymous said...

ok....thats so true..we discussed this yesterday...very gripping read....keep the flow on:)

Bhavya said...

Amazing. You are just amazing with analogies