Why guys like me hate shopping

March 21 2013

You might disagree with the title of the post saying that many guys love to shop. Yes , that's there too. But I have decided to write an article on this topic. So shut up and read or just leave.

Twenty years ago

“Prabhu go to the grocery shop and buy some eggs”- mom would tell these words every now and then when I was a small boy. Why would she ask me to go to the grocery store especially when I am watching my favourite show on TV or when I am playing in the ground with my friends?

“Why don’t you go to the store and buy the eggs? "

Mom would immediately say that the neighbourhood is not a safe place for girls to go alone and shop. Finally I would be forced to go to the shop to buy eggs. I would run to the shop as fast as I could with hopes of coming back home just in time to watch the rest of my favourite program on TV. But when I finally reach the shop, there would be a long queue already waiting for their turn. After tackling some of them and by jumping the line, I finally would succeed in buying eggs. I would scamper as fast as I could and reach home only to find that my favourite show has just ended. To add salt to the injury, my mom would start screaming because 8 out of the 12 eggs would have cracked.  At that moment, I would go through the same emotions that Rohit Sharma goes through for not getting selected in the squad and even when selected being at the receiving end of all Rohit Sharma jokes. This is the moment I started hating the word called  “SHOPPING”.

Ten Years ago

My phone would ring. If it is from a girl, I would have mixed feelings. I would be happy to know that a girl has thought about me to call me on my mobile phone. At the same time, I would be scared of one thing. I would be scared for the following reasons

1) Prabhu, Can you please top up my mobile phone by Rs 100 ?

Why would some one want me to top up their mobile phones using my one month pocket money? I would think again and again. But girls have a power in their voices. Some times I would say No. Some times their voice would melt me. Most of the time , they knew how to melt me

2) Prabhu, Can you drop me in the shopping complex?

It would feel so good to give a lift to one of your girlfriends to the shopping complex. But it would also mean that you would have to hit petrol for your bike (using the pocket money your dad gives) and ten out of ten times you would have to wait for them and pick them back to their home. Sometimes you might mistake such outings for a date. But they are not. You would have to wait for the girl and sometimes you would have to accompany them to the coffee shop and end up paying the bill (using the pocket money your dad gives). Finally after dropping the girl back at the home. you would also get a sms  " I had a very nice time today ... Muaaah :* ". You would preserve this sms for months and would delete it from your inbox only when you see her going on a bike with someone else. That is when you feel sorry for him. Yes! I have been there.

3) Prabhu, Can you buy that notebook for me? I have curfew in home.

They would not have curfew in home when they go out for those dinners and shopping. But when they need some trivial stuff, they would say that they have curfew in home.

4) Pepsiiiiiiiii Sweetheart ( sweet girly tone), Can you pls plis pleasee take me to the new mall that is opening today?

Who would say no to that voice?

Now

After gaining years and years of experience. of dealing with internal pressures (home) and external pressures ( girlfriends), I have now come to a point where I now have a grip of the whole idea of shopping. These days my wife does all the shopping. The online shopping portals come to a great help (Nogama Nongu Saapdalaam). All you have to do is sit in front of the computer and buy all the products you need. We would  go online and do any kind of transaction with ease. But one thing that reminds of my bad shopping past is  when I try booking a ticket in IRCTC.