The great Indian (hyper-extended) family.

She entered the restaurant with her not-so-much, yet-younger brother in tow. As she went ahead, carving her path through a sea of people, protecting her little (sneers) brother from the evils of the world, she almost had to do a Matrix to escape a well, let's say, a healthy Aunty wearing a vulgar over-sequined saree, who, in a fit of laughter (induced by vulgarly fat Uncle husband's joke), was falling over her unknowingly. She survived even as the Aunty gave her a threatening look on seeing the look of disgust on her face.

She was about to reach her table. Suddenly, her path was blocked by a couple of three year olds who were dragging a chair back and forth making screeching noises and another couple who were shouting cheers for them in a shrill, very shrill voice. The chalktrauma* made her want to pull her hair out, kick off the kids in different directions and retire to the Himalayas for-ever. But, she survived. Because all she could think of in that one moment was that why was it called 'back and forth' when 'forth and back' makes more sense because 'back' is when you come 'back' from 'forth'. Her therapy classes had really helped with her grave anger issues by teaching her how to divert her mind.

She sat on her chair, only to find that it wasnt't there. She fell, hurt. Fat aunty had borrowed the chair without asking if it was needed. She survived, still. She took it as a positive thing to have happened. It suddenly brought life into her lazy self. 'Art of the living' classes weren't a bad idea, after all.

She almost had laryngitis from having to shout at the top of her voice to be audible to her parents sitting across the table because a group of fat kitty-party aunties were so amicably fake-complimenting each other's sarees and just by-the-way bitching about their daughter-in-laws, their cacophonous, high pitched voices echoing through the hall (hell). She cursed them with the Swine Flu.

What can you say about an almost(still) 20 year old who survived?

That she loved people.

The Obnoxious, The Unbelievably Annoying and The Incredibly Stupid.

They never ceased to amaze her.

P.S.: 'She loved people' was an alternate title. But then, I decided to go with the 'family' one because I figured that to make an impactful speech, you've got to include the 'parivaar' feeling somewhere.

P.P.S.: Heh. I loved third person talk!! Weird..but, doing more of it for sure. :D

P.P.P.S.: I haven't taken any of those classes, just FYI.



*Chalktrauma (chawk' traw ma) - n. The body's reaction to someone running his fingernails down a chalkboard. Source: Sniglets