Last week, my maids almost disowned me when they realized I didn't know about Mrs.Aishwarya Rai Bachhan's pregnancy! It was when they arrived on their usual time but instead of heading for their respective work, kept on gossiping for long time that made me panic, suspecting some conspiracy against me. I was petrified with the very thought of upsetting any of the three, as all are very essential part for my survival and sanity.
When I nervously approached them and asked why they had not begun the work, they told me that they were too overjoyed with the news of Mrs. Bachhan's pregnancy and were debating if she would have a baby boy or a girl! I ignored their excitement and asked them to resume the work as I was getting late for my meeting (of course, that earned me "what a bore you are" look from them).
Later, when I was checking my mails and social networking sites, I found the same news, sensationalized all over in media and everybody was regaling Mrs. Bachhan's pregnancy. Some comments on social networking sites, were intelligent, some brilliantly funny and some nastily intrusive and insensitive. What really got to my nerves was the obsession of people with it (witnessing maids, driver, neighbour, school going kids, movie buff friends, lady at the bank counter, member of your portfolio management team at the meeting and even a perfect stranger talking about it can drive you absolutely nuts. Believe me!!!).
The way media is going gung-ho about the news everyday, I feel, by the time Mrs. Bachhan delivers her baby, entire nation would have gained remarkable knowledge in the field of obstetrics! I am on verge of throwing up. Really! What else do you feel when country's collective intelligence is obsessed with this kind of demented rhetoric?
Being a mother myself, I perfectly understand how beautiful it is to welcome new life. I am glad that we are still sensitive enough to be happy for other people. But then, why we aren't moved by the thousands of orphan babies? While we are busy discussing the right diet for Mrs. Bachhan's second trimester, do we even think about the children dying due to malnutrition? Why am I surprised? For the country that is possessed with Bollywood and cricket, nothing else really matters!
I am happy for the Bachhan family and God bless their bundle of joy. It is time we leave them with some private moments for the new journey that they are entitled to take, as family. It is time we realized, there is life beyond Bollywood and get on with it at the earliest. For God's sake!
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