Dear Reader,
Before I begin this tale, I need to tell you that most people living in a city like Mumbai end up going into a mall during the weekend with the hope of finding some entertainment - coffee, snacks and movies. Un(fortunately), the place that I live in is surrounded by malls (there are literally 5, each at a stone throwing distance from my house) and I needed some retail therapy this weekend.
So here I am, all by myself, in the middle of hundred other couples who seem to have forgotten what is acceptable and what is not in PDA (Public Display of Attention), trying to pick a store to start my therapy from. Oh, and OK, I must tell you that I am one of those dorks who starts feeling claustrophobic in crowded places and "crowded" is an understatement for the amount of people that I saw in here.
After a lot of convincing that I had to do to myself to stay in the mall, I chose an electronic store since I needed a new laptop, anyway. My Sony Vaio, FE28GP (I take pride in the fact that I own this piece!!) has been away at the service center for a couple of days now and I was in the state of impuissance without a laptop. No, I am not someone obsessed with technology but I missed the regular reading up that I did online and the chat with some good friends.
Anyway, I didn't buy the laptop on this day and the tale actually begins when I walk out of the store. I see this person, probably in his mid thirties, standing there and gazing at me. Yeah, I know, gazing isn't a sin but he looked really weird. He was wearing very thick glasses, the ones that make your eyes look larger than the normal size, with a strange moustache...... The shorter, thicker version of the Chinese moustache.
I gave him a glance, walked past him and sat down in the nearby seater with the intention of catching up with some of my technologically advanced friends about the new laptop that I had considered buying. In moments I got busy with texts and phone calls, however, I wasn't able to stop myself from noticing that the guy is now standing right in front of me and yes, u guessed it right, staring into me!! Now, that makes me very uncomfortable. So I stood up and started walking aimlessly in the opposite direction. Just to be sure, I took the escalator down to the ground floor and I walked into Body Shop. 15 minutes later I walked out of Body Shop with my hands heavier and my pockets lighter AND there he is in front of me again!! This time our eyes locked and he has a smile on his face. I am sure he caught the surprise / shock on my face too.
Me thinking aloud: Could that be a coincidence or was he keeping an eye on me? Am I simply overreacting? Why would anyone stalk a stranger? What should I do next? WHY ME?
To take sometime to think to myself, without being distracted, I headed to the ladies room. And, in there, I convinced myself that it was purely coincidental and that I was not being stalked. I anyway decided to keep my eyes open (most of the times I behave like I am blind. I can never spot a friend and I seem to be completely incapable of checking out the "big-muscles", "broad-chest" of men that other girls don't miss).
Anyway, with my mind a little more peaceful, I walked out of the ladies room and I must have walked just a few footsteps and I see him yet again, standing in the aisle. "What the hell?" didn't even begin to describe my reaction to this situation. Now, this cannot be coincidental, can it be? But instead of pressing the panic button, I decided to play it strategically. I walked briskly into one of the largest stores in the mall with the thought that he would eventually lose me across the floors, only to realize that he was following me, now a little more closely than before. The distance between me and him was hardly a foot at any point of time and I was failing in my plan.
After some 30 mins I decided to end this "running around" and confront him if need be. I stopped, looked around, saw him and kept my eyes on him. He started walking and my phone rang. While I looked at my mobile phone, he walked around me and stood by on my side. "Excuse me", he said. I turned to look at him with an expression that cannot be articulated.
"Waiting for thomebody (somebody with a lisp)?" While I thought about that question that came my way and the crispiest reply to it, I said "Yes" and zipped away. That was the only "verbal encounter" that he had with me. I did see him a number of times, in and around where I was, even after this incident.
I found this behaviour so inexplicably odd that I am still wondering about it. I mean, who asks a rhetorical question like "waiting for thomebody" when they want to make a conversation? I'm assuming that this was a misguided effort at some kinda socialising. And why on earth, among all the beauties, ME? I don't think I fit into the common definitions of being beautiful. Rather, I'd fail the 1st in the list that says "Being fair".
I wonder all the time why people do what they do and this particular stranger intrigued me.
Before I begin this tale, I need to tell you that most people living in a city like Mumbai end up going into a mall during the weekend with the hope of finding some entertainment - coffee, snacks and movies. Un(fortunately), the place that I live in is surrounded by malls (there are literally 5, each at a stone throwing distance from my house) and I needed some retail therapy this weekend.
So here I am, all by myself, in the middle of hundred other couples who seem to have forgotten what is acceptable and what is not in PDA (Public Display of Attention), trying to pick a store to start my therapy from. Oh, and OK, I must tell you that I am one of those dorks who starts feeling claustrophobic in crowded places and "crowded" is an understatement for the amount of people that I saw in here.
After a lot of convincing that I had to do to myself to stay in the mall, I chose an electronic store since I needed a new laptop, anyway. My Sony Vaio, FE28GP (I take pride in the fact that I own this piece!!) has been away at the service center for a couple of days now and I was in the state of impuissance without a laptop. No, I am not someone obsessed with technology but I missed the regular reading up that I did online and the chat with some good friends.
Anyway, I didn't buy the laptop on this day and the tale actually begins when I walk out of the store. I see this person, probably in his mid thirties, standing there and gazing at me. Yeah, I know, gazing isn't a sin but he looked really weird. He was wearing very thick glasses, the ones that make your eyes look larger than the normal size, with a strange moustache...... The shorter, thicker version of the Chinese moustache.
I gave him a glance, walked past him and sat down in the nearby seater with the intention of catching up with some of my technologically advanced friends about the new laptop that I had considered buying. In moments I got busy with texts and phone calls, however, I wasn't able to stop myself from noticing that the guy is now standing right in front of me and yes, u guessed it right, staring into me!! Now, that makes me very uncomfortable. So I stood up and started walking aimlessly in the opposite direction. Just to be sure, I took the escalator down to the ground floor and I walked into Body Shop. 15 minutes later I walked out of Body Shop with my hands heavier and my pockets lighter AND there he is in front of me again!! This time our eyes locked and he has a smile on his face. I am sure he caught the surprise / shock on my face too.
Me thinking aloud: Could that be a coincidence or was he keeping an eye on me? Am I simply overreacting? Why would anyone stalk a stranger? What should I do next? WHY ME?
To take sometime to think to myself, without being distracted, I headed to the ladies room. And, in there, I convinced myself that it was purely coincidental and that I was not being stalked. I anyway decided to keep my eyes open (most of the times I behave like I am blind. I can never spot a friend and I seem to be completely incapable of checking out the "big-muscles", "broad-chest" of men that other girls don't miss).
Anyway, with my mind a little more peaceful, I walked out of the ladies room and I must have walked just a few footsteps and I see him yet again, standing in the aisle. "What the hell?" didn't even begin to describe my reaction to this situation. Now, this cannot be coincidental, can it be? But instead of pressing the panic button, I decided to play it strategically. I walked briskly into one of the largest stores in the mall with the thought that he would eventually lose me across the floors, only to realize that he was following me, now a little more closely than before. The distance between me and him was hardly a foot at any point of time and I was failing in my plan.
After some 30 mins I decided to end this "running around" and confront him if need be. I stopped, looked around, saw him and kept my eyes on him. He started walking and my phone rang. While I looked at my mobile phone, he walked around me and stood by on my side. "Excuse me", he said. I turned to look at him with an expression that cannot be articulated.
"Waiting for thomebody (somebody with a lisp)?" While I thought about that question that came my way and the crispiest reply to it, I said "Yes" and zipped away. That was the only "verbal encounter" that he had with me. I did see him a number of times, in and around where I was, even after this incident.
I found this behaviour so inexplicably odd that I am still wondering about it. I mean, who asks a rhetorical question like "waiting for thomebody" when they want to make a conversation? I'm assuming that this was a misguided effort at some kinda socialising. And why on earth, among all the beauties, ME? I don't think I fit into the common definitions of being beautiful. Rather, I'd fail the 1st in the list that says "Being fair".
I wonder all the time why people do what they do and this particular stranger intrigued me.
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