Hotty at forty....

Being in your hotty forties in modern(sic) India….

·         The freedom to check out young men or men en generale, without being labelled…very kool

·         The freedom to also check out women…… in appreciation and no envy, no looking for blemishes, scars, imperfections, just appreciation – totally kool

·         The freedom to say what’s on your mind frankly and bluntly  and guess what, be admired for it…ultra kool

·         And the freedom to say completely inappropriate things at inappropriate moments, including comment on your boss’s lady appeal ….super kool

·         That absolute freedom when drama ends in your life, and a certain calmness of being happens…and you wonder and marvel at the drama that the other women indulge in…ice kool

·         The freedom to show genuine affection to people openly – by hugging or touching without the men thinking that I am flirting or the women thinking that I am a nympho or bisexual or both…lol kool

·         The freedom to be as antisocial as you want and crave being by yourself, without you being considered a raving sociopath…uber kool

·         The freedom to down a few mojitos, dance in abandonment , and laugh , throwing your head back and full throatedly, without being thought an exhibitionist or god forbid, a siren…haat kool

·         The freedom to experiment with hair colours, a purple streak perhaps, edgy clothes, and dress for your own personal pleasure…saucy kool

·         The freedom to be selfish and do things that actualize you and only you, without you being judged….freedom kool

·         The freedom to admire all my love handles and stretch marks and still wear my saree delectably low – cos – dammit, I have earned them…..sexy kool

Lest you think that everything is kool, here is a list of unkool…

·         Being called “aunty” by those very same cute guys that you are checking out….awkward unkool

·         Getting weird looks from those very women, whom you compliment…they are probably thinking – weirdo, what does she want…?...sic unkool

·         Being given “gentle feedback” and told how you need to role model – yuck for the younger , impressionable women… boring unkool

·         Being told that I don’t need to be aggressive or God forbid “emotional”  -  when I speak my mind..stereotype unkool

·         Being told mockingly that I am Mother Teresa and I need to react more…fake unkool

·         Being asked to bar tend and cook, every time I go to a party or host one at home…..Masterchef unkool

·         Being told to look at “age appropriate” dressing… WTF does that mean….maybe I need to wear a full length veil or something….such an ass unkool

·         And this, the crème de la  crème -being told that if I need to be taken seriously and get things done at work, I should not color my grays  and I should wrap myself up in grandma sarees , like an Egyptian mummy…lost it unkool…

Kool and unkool for the hotty forties in urban, modern India – mixed bag, but WTF, life’s good, because I simply don’t care and that is totally exhilarating….....