Alone but not lonely

A fresh, new experience. An experience which taught me a few things. First, the background.

I was supposed to go shopping with my friend on Friday afternoon. Rain gods played havoc as usual and apparently it was raining cats and dogs where he stays. Well, what was I to do? If a girl has made up her mind to go shopping, shopping it is that she must do! I thought about it long and hard over some deliciously sinful cheese burst pizza(if gluttony is a sin, I have a reservation in hell) and reached a conclusion, I shall go alone.

I have gone window shopping all by myself before, but that was more out of compulsion than choice. When you have friends who nonchalantly claim that 1:30 means 2:00, you end up planning accordingly, planning your chores and some small work before they finally decide to turn up.

So here I was, sitting in my bus,on my way home, still considering and weighing my options. I must confess, I did try to pull in another friend but she usually takes at least half a day to get ready so that was out of the question. Oh and by the way, my bus does not go through the destination I intended to target. After much thought, I decided to take the plunge(err..melodramatic choice of words), quite literally. The bus stopped at a signal and off I jumped(hopped?). I knew it to be "somewhere close" to where I was headed to, but being Ms. No Sense of Direction, walked off in the wrong direction, all the while chatting up my friend on the phone.

A few minutes and a few unknown, unseen landmarks later, I reached the conclusion that I was lost. I mean of course I knew I was still in Bangalore and that too in a good locality to get lost in, what with some educational institutions nearby and posh flats in the vicinity, plus the fact that it was broad daylight! But still, one must accept when one is lost. So I stop in my tracks, retrace my steps to where I alighted from my company bus and do the most sensible thing for someone in my position - look confident and hail an auto.

After a pretty much nondescript ride and a shopping experience later, here are my few points of gyaan on the whole subject of shopping alone:

No pressure - there is absolutely no peer pressure when you go shopping by yourself. You don't care if you are reaching for the cheaper articles, or if the trend is out of fashion yet you like it, or someone suggest a color so ghastly you wouldn't let even your worst enemies wear it. Best part about it - the absence of the dressing room trauma. Before you start getting ideas, give your imagination some rest. I am referring to the whole process of trying out something and displaying it one by one to your friends as well as the aunties, uncles and kids near the dressing room. Oh and not to forget the "guards", who sometimes give you such looks that you know how good the item of clothing looks on you.

Independence - yes, as unlikely as it may seem, it gives you a sense of great accomplishment and independence. How? Simple. You are not depending on anyone for transportation, for starters. You are not depending on anyone for suggestions. It's all you. You are not depending on anyone for decisions. It's your money, your time. Spend it as you want. You are not depending on anyone, in case you want to leave. Since it's just you, you can leave and/or go someplace else, whenever you want and not wait for the other person's opinion(approval?).

I did buy a couple of things I had been hunting for, since long. As soon I was done, since there was no "socialising" involved, walked a bit since the weather was beautiful(and I was..err..kinda lost..again)and headed for home. Family was surprised to see me home so early and even more so when they realised where I had been(the shopping bags in my hand gave it away) and I think my mother was a little offended that I didn't ask her to come, given that I went alone. But as I told her, I was alone, but not lonely.