<p>Come Sankranthi and a spate of weddings take place. The dilemma starts here — what to give the bridal couple. Household gadgets? Already someone or the other has preceded me. Bed linen? The couple is thinking of emigrating. Jewellery? With all this bling in fashion, it is sure to be put away in a locker. <br /><br />A nice Kanchipuram silk sari? Again, it will end up in cold storage what with all kinds of fancy garments in vogue. Vouchers or gift coupons? The couple in question may not find anything within the budget and may be forced to spend extra money. And that would be like buying one’s own gift — with love from us, to us!<br /><br />A good painting or an artifact? It may not be to their liking for tastes differ. The same holds good for accessories like a table lamp or a book case or a music system. Electronic items? Before, it is opened, it will become outdated!<br /><br />So, recently, I decided to make an earnest attempt to find something unusual, something worthwhile, something that will be appreciated and not relegated to the attic till a chance comes to get rid of it. Meticulously, I made a list of probable gifts and set out to get something rare, something striking. Accordingly, I set out to find the prize. <br /><br />I had envisaged a pleasant morning pottering about shops and stores in search of hidden treasure. I was mistaken. I trudged from shop to shop and store to store but the right gift eluded me. There were shelves after shelves of gleaming articles on but they were mundane, run-of-the-mill stuff. They did not appeal to me. But I was not discouraged. Hope lingered in my heart. <br /><br />I continued the quest, minutely examining the recesses of stores and turning them inside out — rather like a sleuth looking for clues for a crime. The salespeople were tired of me and let me search for what I wanted at leisure. They probably wrote me off as an idle shopper who looks but does not buy anything. But when one is impelled by the desire to get something extraordinary, one must not be intimidated by sales staff and their superior attitude. <br /> <br />As I left the shops, empty-handed, of course, I thanked the sales people and they said, “Have a nice day!” accompanied by plastic smiles. It was devoid of all sincerity, but part of their stock-in-trade. <br /><br />At the end of a tiring morning, I gave up and arrived at a compromise. I got a decorative envelope and put in new, crisp currency notes and presented it to the couple!</p>
<p>Come Sankranthi and a spate of weddings take place. The dilemma starts here — what to give the bridal couple. Household gadgets? Already someone or the other has preceded me. Bed linen? The couple is thinking of emigrating. Jewellery? With all this bling in fashion, it is sure to be put away in a locker. <br /><br />A nice Kanchipuram silk sari? Again, it will end up in cold storage what with all kinds of fancy garments in vogue. Vouchers or gift coupons? The couple in question may not find anything within the budget and may be forced to spend extra money. And that would be like buying one’s own gift — with love from us, to us!<br /><br />A good painting or an artifact? It may not be to their liking for tastes differ. The same holds good for accessories like a table lamp or a book case or a music system. Electronic items? Before, it is opened, it will become outdated!<br /><br />So, recently, I decided to make an earnest attempt to find something unusual, something worthwhile, something that will be appreciated and not relegated to the attic till a chance comes to get rid of it. Meticulously, I made a list of probable gifts and set out to get something rare, something striking. Accordingly, I set out to find the prize. <br /><br />I had envisaged a pleasant morning pottering about shops and stores in search of hidden treasure. I was mistaken. I trudged from shop to shop and store to store but the right gift eluded me. There were shelves after shelves of gleaming articles on but they were mundane, run-of-the-mill stuff. They did not appeal to me. But I was not discouraged. Hope lingered in my heart. <br /><br />I continued the quest, minutely examining the recesses of stores and turning them inside out — rather like a sleuth looking for clues for a crime. The salespeople were tired of me and let me search for what I wanted at leisure. They probably wrote me off as an idle shopper who looks but does not buy anything. But when one is impelled by the desire to get something extraordinary, one must not be intimidated by sales staff and their superior attitude. <br /> <br />As I left the shops, empty-handed, of course, I thanked the sales people and they said, “Have a nice day!” accompanied by plastic smiles. It was devoid of all sincerity, but part of their stock-in-trade. <br /><br />At the end of a tiring morning, I gave up and arrived at a compromise. I got a decorative envelope and put in new, crisp currency notes and presented it to the couple!</p>
