Iron Leg

It’s all about stars. Yeah, STARS, you read correctly. Not the ones behind whom you run for an autograph or photograph & within seconds upload the pic on FB, not those stars people. Your stars, nimma nakshathra that make your raashi, kula, gothra yada yada.

 

I don’t see a point about “your day today”, that astrologer keeps saying “you will get money, you will get money” since 3 months, bleedy my bank balance is 2 digits by 5th of every month. What this astrologer failed to predict was about this shaNi of mine, one which is not hovering over my head but on my foot, I call it “meT shaNi” or the “Foot shaNi”.

 

If you know me personally, you will know how tall I am, which is why I am never permitted to wear heels. This was the first phase of the shaNi, not letting me wear what I like, high heels; due to which my wardrobe (the ones in the verandah like railway boogie) only contains flats. They are so flat that you can call me “Down to Earth” person; had the urge to call myself maNNina magaLu but no, I’d rather be my appa’s daughter only.

 

If you know me a little extra personally, you will also know how big my feet are, dad calls them “Devil’s feet”, I choose to differ, see people who were responsible to genes I am made up of have no rights to comment. & if they have to, they should comment on their gene mix-up not otherwise. Coming back, the feet are big; big as in the mid-foot is broad preventing me from wearing a certain style of footwear that involves semi-circle shaped thread that fits the mid-foot. My enquiries for footwear start from “slippers thorsi – last size”, I am lucky if I get any else life & leg have to move on, which is the next phase of the shaNi.

 

Just when I had lost hopes, shop near “Shivrampet, Mysore” or ones from “Dasara exhibition”, err basically “2 pairs for 300 bucks” types started flourishing, life was beautiful again. I was delighted with the concept, I could have as many as I wanted because they are cheap, as many colors I wanted coz they are cheap; they are stylish & again coz they are cheap. Feet were kicking only till the first incident. The shaNi kaaTa had officially started.

 

I was happily walking with my Pati who was then my fiancée & that was our first date. This is what I like, this is what I don’t like, I spoke & spoke, the man was just listening & behold slipper broke. So did my ego. I mean imagine myself chit-chatting with my to-be-husband with total class & this happens, meT shaNi was laughing at me. We had to cancel off the date, Pati says now that it was nature’s way of telling him “ee huDgi na, beDa!!!” Nonsense!

 

The saga continued. We were in Bangalore, booked tickets to “Raavan” & were late; I was running to the theatre & behold slipper cuts. No no, we did not cancel the movie, this time though I was prepared; I took Pati’s kerchief & tied around my leg & slippers like as if I was wounded. Once the movie was done, went to a slipper shop next to the theater & bought a pair. “I will wear the new ones, don’t pack”, I told the shop-keeper. He kept asking me where my old slippers were so that he will pack the same, & I ignored. He did give me weird looks when he saw me leaving the old slippers, may be he assumed his shop was a “bomb target”.

 

Anyhoo, it happened in office as well & thanks to Pav, I did not have to take leave just because of shaNi & his mischief. She had a pair in her car & the same was worn till EOD. Latest it was on the annual day, the biggest day where I had to receive award on stage, that day my slipper worth 1200 bucks had to cut? & what did I do? Sent Pati back home & to get another pair. I can imagine how MIL would have fumed that her son had to carry slippers to the daughter-in-law. & nature would have again laughed at Pati “see I told you ee huDgi beDa anta”.

 

Every one says “shaNi meTkonDide” but in my case it is “meT shaNi”. Not sure what homa or havan I’ll have to perform. But until then “Kaal”-aaya tasmai namaha.