Agar Tum Hote (If you were here)
Did you know, there are many tricks to overcome depression without using any medicinal anti-depressants? Ice cream, chocolates, exercise, and my all-time favorite – Shopping, do the trick for me. Depending on how depressed I am feeling, I choose one or all of the above anti-depressants. This Sunday was some reason (not worth discussing), I was feeling exceptionally low. The magnitude of depression was high enough to justify a serious dose of retail therapy. Plus with the Sale season on, I would have gotten into a more severe depression if I did not make the most of the ongoing discounts. I bathed the kids, fed them their breakfast, assigned some study tasks for Toyna, packed my shopping bag and closed the door of the house behind me. I was ready for a well-earned break.
I stopped at multiple outlets, tried beautiful stuff, picked some, rejected some, and most importantly pampered myself to core. No one paid any attention to me, hopping in and out of stores and trial rooms. There were a thousand more like me on this beautiful Sunday morning. By the time I was done with two stores, depression was the last thing on my mind. I was excited to get back home and show the kids what I had picked for them. My last stop on the way back was a shoe store. I had promised myself a new pair of shoes when I had started my shopping spree. I had better honor my promise to myself.
I tried a number of shoes and ended up shortlisting two shoes. As the store assistant packed the shoes, I tried some more just to see how they looked on my feet. Isn’t that what women are supposed to do? Even though we know we don’t need more stuff, there is no harm in trying it out. You never know… As it turned out, I liked one more pair, so I ordered the assistant to get the right size for me. He smiled at me and said, “Madam, you want One More, in addition to the two you already have??” His tone kind of indicating, “How can anyone buy more than two shoes in one go?” I was in such a good mood that I happily smiled at him and said, “If my husband was here with me, he would have bought five shoes for me. I am just trying out a third one right now.”
The store assistant gave me one of those smiles which says, “I understand!” With that he left to fetch me another pair of shoes. I picked another shining silver sandal in my hand to admire it more closely. My thoughts drifted to my dear husband. How I wish he was here to pamper me and help me pick the best shoe for my tiny feet! In order to pick the perfect shoe, he would have fussed over the color, the texture, the quality but never the price. He treats me like a Princess, so it is important that I treat myself like one too. I would hate for him to know that I, of all the people, ignored his standards of love and respect for his Princess.
I read this somewhere a few days back, “ I am not looking for a Prince Charming! I am looking for someone who will treat me like a Princess!”
My dear husband, not only treats me like a Princess, but has given me enough confidence in myself that even when he is not around, I tend to treat myself like one too. I guess fairy tales do come true in some ways!!