Hip Hop Bangalore Malls

After working all so hard in the office for the whole week, the very next thing in your life is the glamorous weekend in the hip hop, most happening Bangalore clubs, pubs and Malls. Someone like me, who graduated out just a month or two back, and that too from a remote piece of terrain on this country would definitely notice the change that has been brought about by Liberalisation and Consumerism through out the country. Well I do not outstandingly revolt against these two phenomenons, but certainly I am not a supporter of either. It's just that I am keen enough to observe things happening around me.

Now, the very next question, what am I going to do. Well, I am here just to enjoy my weekend. So the very first mall that I visited was the Forum in Kormangala. The moment I entered I knew I hated the place. It was damn crowded. I hate crowd, but never ever did a place or a crowd repelled me to this magnitude. I just was not able to think anything except when to leave this place. I started with so called window shopping at the branded showrooms. Levis, Reebok, Nike, Van Heusen, Tom Hilfiger, Addidas.. man the goods are just too expensive. I just happened to like a jacket at Tom Hilfiger and that had a label of Rs 8000 . What am I paying 8000 for!!! At last there was no reason for me to buy that piece of cloth for 8000 just because it had the name of Tom Hilfiger on it. Leave it..lets go to another shop. I had a budget of Rs 800 and was not going to buy a jacket for more than that but in case I had to raise it, Rs 1000 that's it. Too much for a jacket. So what next....and next...and next.. I did the same for every shop. Two hours...just researching on branded jackets..infact their prices...forget quality...the name had all of it. But no one seemed to have a jacket starting below 2000. And finally i did not take a jacket. I decided to quit the plan.
Every where in that place I could see youngsters of my age and coupled!! That is important and remarkable about Bangalore. Every one who has been here for about 4 months has been able to find a so called great match for their life. They want to shop , to move around, hug them and even kiss them, out there in the public place.
"Yukk...how have these people managed to do this, when did my country cut down it's traditionlism and conservationist policies. So is this what the genNext is? Is this was what the watch guards of society warned us about a decade ago when India welcomed liberalization...". All these facts and thoughts crossed my mind at that particular point. I need to sit down. I was not able to take this gush of thougths straight through me. "I need to eat something". I had to find a restaurant. So here it is "Transit". Not a restaurant, but a food court. I had been to a food court earlier at Virginia Tech . That was Schulz hall, if I could remember properly. But then this was India at a Bangalore Mall. Too many cuisines, far too many dishes. In a minute, I got that this place was not for an unprepared guy like me who didn't even knew what means what. But I restored my self to a dosa. A long queue, but finally ordered one. Costly again. Now I had to find a place to sit. It was weekend and almost every one from Bangalore seemed to be pouring in at Forum. Fortunately, found a place to sit. Looking all around , just one thing, the fairer sex with their dates. "Man , am I the only the one uncoupled. Shame on you bhupc . Does it really matter?", I thought the very next moment. "Lets see. So let me eat my dosa. So hmmm...all these people around are wearing branded clothes....hmmm...nice they look dudes and dudess".None had a non branded piece of clothing on their body, except me.

I continued to discover the answer.
"Can't I buy that expensive jacket. I have enough money for that. Everyone is doing it. I don't think that everyone has that enough money..all of them were salaried people, but yes they were all single, like me. But then what about our own industries, the Swadeshi and all that....uff.... it's paining ...my head,.... my heart wants the jacket, my brain thinks too much about my country and my financial status....what about me, about what I want.....This place is making me think it's own way..It wants me to consume what it has for me, at the cost it wants me to pay....Ok I am done. I want that jacket. I will take it. Lets go.. now... "

The next was I went to the showroom, bought an expensive smart looking jacket. And it was brash. I just bought it like it meant nothing to me to spend that much. People just looked at me..probably thinking that they also could have taken that jacket home if they had that big budget for a jacket.
I came out of the mall. Finally I got my peace of mind and the solace I needed. But not yet satisfied. One question still wandering....."is there someone regulating them , is someone watching them .....?" and I thought .."We..yes we all are the ones..the cause and the victims...may be...I need to observe more..a bit more keen...."