In the airport coach

charukesi July 23rd, 2005

My flight landed in Delhi and I found myself sitting next to this girl on the airport coach to the terminal.

Super rich, super thin. Super brat.

Purple streaks in her hair. Over-sized sunglasses. Pale make up. And a t-shirt reaching just below the chest.

And faded jeans. With strategically placed cuts in five different places. And the cuts enlarged to give it a frayed look. When she sat down, the cloth gave way at the knees to give a glimpse of unnaturally pink flesh there - knee makeup, do you think?

(I was itching to take a photograph - to record this for posterity - for this blog, actually - but I resisted that temptation. Not because she would mind - but because I was afraid she would charge me for it)

Made me think about how similar the lives of the super haves and the entirely have-nots are.

I see poor people wearing torn clothes all the time - not because they have carefully cut it themselves with a blade. Or wearing faded clothes. And not paying a premium price for that cool ‘faded’ look.

And the streaks on the hair. Sure, not purple. But matted and brown. For lack of any kind of cleaning. Or “hair-care”.

Oh, the super-thin body too. Except there are no fad diets (suggested by fat lifestyle and health consultants) here - only starvation.

Take away that healthy glow on her face. And my airport-coach friend could have belonged anywhere else. Except she was carrying a Danielle Steele in her hand (hardcover - purple hair and torn jeans okay but this was the last straw).

****
The hotel I am staying in has a restaurant called laidbackwaters. That is exactly how and where I want to be right now.

****
I just saw that Charu is “hot on desipundit lately“. Champagne! preferably at the above-mentioned kind of location.

19 Responses to “In the airport coach”

  1. # Gangadhar Ambation 23 Jul 2005 at 13.20

    But one should wear only clothes that make the best of one’s unique shape. Too many fleshy women (and there are lots of men who prefer robust females over skimpier lasses) are currently wandering the planet in low-rise jeans and tank tops, which results in a phenomenon known as “muffin top.” In other words, they’re walking around with a wedge of flab over their waistbands. Not a good look.

  2. # :..M..:on 23 Jul 2005 at 16.41

    You could not have put what I think of such super-haves any better.

  3. # Mangson 23 Jul 2005 at 17.31

    Hardcover!! Now that’s a first!

  4. # sunil laxmanon 23 Jul 2005 at 21.06

    Yeah……how true.

    you should have taken the photo, with a camera phone or something, on the sly :-)

  5. # Patrixon 23 Jul 2005 at 21.14

    LOL@ ‘hot on DesiPundit lately’…with the kind of posts you have been writing lately, you would be ‘hot’ anywhere :) but we are trying to remove names from the list soon.

  6. # Jasmineon 23 Jul 2005 at 22.46

    They actually have Danielle Steele in hardcover? Gross!

  7. # Amrit Hallanon 24 Jul 2005 at 01.22

    I mostly don’t mind how people appear as long as they don’t bother me or encroach my space. Clothes (torn and untorn, hairstyle, etc.) hardly matter as long as the person remains human.

  8. # Neelaon 24 Jul 2005 at 06.04

    er.. whats wrong with danielle steele anyway? and why should ds in hardcover bother anyone?

  9. # Shivajion 24 Jul 2005 at 07.56

    Hi Charu,
    By any chance do you have her phone number :-)

    Yes, I am fully in favor of an inheritance tax - any money passed on from a parent to a child even for pocket money should be taxed…

  10. # Tanujon 24 Jul 2005 at 08.04

    Charu, it seems so easy to pass judgments on people you don’t know from Eve. “Super rich, Super Brat” - ??

  11. # Charuon 24 Jul 2005 at 15.38

    Patrix thanks :)*trying to blush*

    Shivaji, duh? inheritance tax - what is the point I am missing here? as for her phone number, am not likely to forget a face like that, next time I spot her at some airport, will ask…

    Tarun, sorry. I should have asked her whether she was indeed a super rich super brat - and not gone by looks. Oh, remorse, i have been so superficial…

  12. # Charuon 24 Jul 2005 at 15.42

    G, there was no flab, but enough exposed flesh for a chopper to land in bad weather…

    Sunil, sob. have oldest model cellphone - lucky if I can receive calls on it.

    Amrit, I suspect there was a human hidden somewhere inside but I couldn’t spot it - or her. Believe me. And I stared enough to be sure about this.

    Neela, what is wrong with Danielle Steele? I am very disappointed with you…

    yes people, not just DS, but in hard cover.

  13. # neelangelaon 24 Jul 2005 at 21.00

    charu, your remarks about her “exposed flesh” are in poor taste. I am especially surprised given your stance on “its not bloody OK”. Your post looks like a pure bitching & judging session of someone based on her clothes or lack of them - she must be a super brat because she wears torn faded jeans and colours her hair. And this from someone who’s self-description is “progressive ideas”??

    I am disappointed in YOU Charu.

  14. # neelaon 24 Jul 2005 at 21.29

    Charu, I can’t find a way to edit my previous comment and I can’t find a way to send you an email. Anyway, I hope I did not sound too rude. I understand in your comment that you were making a point that the super haves are on a full circle from the have-nots.

    I was reacting to, and I hope that you delete references in your post and comment to “superbrat” or “exposed flesh” because these are really judgmental, superficial comments based on stereotyping someone on the way that she dresses or looks without knowing that person. This, as you well know is especially detrimental to women in India and from here its a few steps to “she asked for it” that leads to sexual harassment.

    n!

  15. # charuon 25 Jul 2005 at 18.27

    to each her own, neela… I guess the difference between you and me is that I saw the person -

    neela, do understand this difference - I would not have said this about someone wearing a mini skirt - but I do think nicking one’s jeans just to make sure some skin is shown is not such a cool thing to do as she seemed to think - again I am not suggesting for a minute that such a person is asking to be molested - but she was asking to be stared at surely…

    yes, it was rude - but what the heck. I was rude about this super brat and you about me. makes that even! (and a few lines below progressive ideas is - write to me)

    and of course, I was being bitchy - I thought that much was obvious…

  16. # Sourinon 25 Jul 2005 at 23.02

    Charu
    I get the super thin, superrich part, but why the super-brat ? Unless reading hardcover version of Danielle Steel qualifies as bratty. C’mon dish some !!!
    Sourin

  17. # tanujon 26 Jul 2005 at 05.42

    charu,

    “but she was asking to be stared at surely..”

    this is cool! if an educated person, passionate about women’s rights, with lots of ‘progressive ideas’ can say this proudly and in public, what wrong with an uneducated, slum-dwelling male leering at the same girl and whistling? he would say the same thing, of course. am pretty sure the shiv sena would love to have you as a spokesperson.

  18. # S.Kon 26 Jul 2005 at 10.21

    All this weir-do are merely to find expression of individuality and to kill boredom of rubbing shoulders with the nondescript.

    But beneath this facade, there may be a sharp thinking head.
    Any way, that is my type :)
    Any clue on her co-ordinates? ;)

  19. # Kapson 26 Jul 2005 at 13.50

    the growing rich poor divide is causing some ripples in the society. i also read that this is resulting is more kidnapping and ransoms.