Genie in a Bottle

So for a change let’s assume we are in utopia, and you had everything you ever wanted… of course you will be horrified with the choices you make, and be thankful that your wishes aren’t granted always… but that’s a different story. For a change, let’s just assume that you know what you want and in the ideal world, you will have it too… no miserly genie in the bottle, no racking your brains about picking ONLY THREE wishes, here it’s just unbridled self-indulgence!

Obviously I am the socially conscious kinds (we have compulsory CSR projects- kind of a contradiction: compulsory and CSR, but then again, I am digressing), so I really want world peace, and poverty eradication and AIDS awareness, and no global warming (or at least no global whining).

Now that we are done with being deep and responsible and all that jazz, let’s get back to reality: what I REALLY want!

Money… but not the kind that gets in the way of my little pleasures

A successful career… but not the kind of success that’s defined by my neighbours or my family or my friends or my B-school

Friends… but only when we get to choose one another, not because we are from the same profession, same background, same city, same college, but because we want to be friends

A lifestyle… but not the kind defined by lifestyle magazines- plush apartment, big cars, state-of-art technology, multiplex movies, branded clothes, (okk may be branded clothes are a necessity), expensive wines but which allows me to be free, to eat street food and yet wear provocative clothes and travel in local trains without feeling unsafe

Love and sex… but not necessarily with the same person, not with the “perfect guy” but with the “perfect guy for me”, not because it’s a social obligation, not because “now is the right time” but because it feels right

And last but not the least… shopping! I don’t want money, just give me monthly vouchers for buying clothes and books

And yeah, may be on Teacher’s Day, instead of crying out loud, may be I can do something to send that little girl (Laxmi she said her name is) at Aundh who earns money by balancing herself in the air on a tightrope to school