Daily Prompt : Lifestyle

May 5, 2017

In response to daily post’s one-word prompt : Lifestyle

Today’s prompt takes me back to my childhood. We used to live in a large house of course it was rented, nevertheless it was large, if we or my dad was able to pay the rent, we were looked upon  by the vendors who came by to sell their wares to have a certain lifestyle.

One morning my second older brother came out of the house in his clumsy clothes. The vegetable vendor, thought he was one of the servants, he addressed him, ‘hey naukar, Begum sahib kahan hai?’ (hey servant where is Begum Sahib?)

My poor brother was so embarrassed he dashed inside the house, he changed his outfit immediately and went out. The vendor was waiting, when he saw my brother in his changed outfit, he realized my brother was not a servant, and instantly apologized for thinking him a servant.

In our part of the world you are judged by what you wear, it’s taken for granted prosperous people do not dress casually. If one happens to forget his status, the vendors or others will automatically think you must be a servant in that particular house, especially if it happens to be one which has twelve rooms and a large garden with a gardener.

I was never too keen about how I dressed, as a result people  made comparisons between me and my sister. I did not care if my sari and blouse did not match, comparatively my sister made sure everything she wore matched from head to her feet, and if she carried an umbrella it had to match her outfit.

…………………………………………. 🙂