The gift of gifting

Aradhika  Sharma

Dear Diary Didi,

Sorry, I couldn’t connect with you the whole of Diwali week. I got super busy with all the parties, shopping and gifting. Vaise toh you know how much I love this festival, par pata nahin, over the years, it’s become a bit too stressful, especially the gifting part. You must make a list of the people you have to give gifts to, then decide the price range for each person, then purchase gifts and get them gift wrapped and then go and deliver them. Oopar se our driver is on leave and hubby and I had to deliver all the gifts ourselves, fighting our separate ways through awful traffic jams.

People insist on stuffing you with dry fruit and mithai. Bhai, how many badaams can you eat? The worst was when I visited Anjali auntie’s house. The dragon lady gave me two giant dahi bhallas, watching me with an eagle eye till I ate the last morsel. That totally ruined my Diwali lunch! I’ve had pasta, rasmalai, laddoos, dhokla, gujiya and aloo tikki forced upon me in the course of one evening and the faces people make if you refuse! I’m going to have to go in a crash diet and double my gymming, all thanks to their hostile hospitality.

I must say I was pretty tempted by the offer of white wine, cheese and olives in Geetu’s house, but reluctantly refused. You won’t believe the web of nakas in the city, Diary Didi. Rang mein bhang! Vaise, I love Geetu’s Diwali gift most; she always gives me a nice bottle of vintage wine!

Talking about gifts, why don’t people think before they gift? Do you know what all we got this Diwali? Five sets of glass bowls and two melamine dinner sets (don’t I possess my own crockery?), one coffee machine (where am I supposed to put it, pray?); one rice cooker (I gave the old one to the maid); a box of organic assorted green tea (If Mrs. Khanna had to give tea, why not Darjeeling?), a bathing hamper (someone explain the logic of that!); six cakes and three chocolate hampers (Useless! I eat only dark chocolate, better for weight loss), assorted dry fruit (unimaginative, but useful); a set of gilt trays (nahin!)

And what the hell am I going to do with those nine boxes of son papdi? Can I freeze them to pass them on next year?

Ifeel that if you must gift, be a little more thoughtful. Give things like gift coupons for nice restaurants or spa cards or even a nifty gadget. People should take a page of my book and learn from me. You know what I gave everyone this Diwali? Electronic weighing scales! That’ll encourage people to get into shape, especially after the excesses of Diwali feasting. So considerate, na?

The best part is that I got them online at 75 per cent discount, so I purchased 30 of them.

Cheap and best. Isko kehte hain gift!

Until tomorrow! G’night!