I had got this comment some time ago from an aquaintence in Orkut that I looked really different in the current picture and the previous one posted there. Incidentally the two pictures are only 2 months apart from each other. But you bet, I look different. And that reminded me of an incident a while ago.
It was summer time last year. One fine day, I decided to clean the tiles of my verandah. The main door of the house was open and as I almost finished, I saw my neighbour passing by. I nodded in acknowledgement. Later when the chore was done, I walked out of my house, to get something from my car which was parked right in front and I bumped into the same neighbour again. I nodded and smiled again. The day just passed.
The next afternoon, when I was walking around my apartment area, I met that neighbour again. We just got into some conversation and in the middle of it, he rushed into his apartment and returned with a diary to learn the exact spelling of my name. He is a Mexican. I appreciated his effort. To tell you frankly, I really get this esteemed feeling, here in US, when someone pronounces or spells my name correctly. Otherwise, it feels like I am some software product that comes in versions - Archana 1.0, Airkaana bis 1.1, Urchchaana bis 1.2. And you never know there could be more coming. Sometimes, it seems like these are my mutated variants. I fear the next could be an Arachnuha. Or even Unicorn. Who knows. It is at least going in that direction. But I am sure learning to be at peace with it. Like when they call out these names (of these weird creatures, if they exist), I simply nod in acknowledgement. It's like my consciousness has expanded to accomodate something more than just the mere me.
Anyways, that is besides the point. So, as we were talking, our conversation turned into something like this. (Just to give you a small background, the only conversations I have had previously with this neighbour are of the kinds of Hello, how are you doing? I am studying this. What do you do? or It is really getting humid these days.. Just greetings or extended greetings. Now that you have the context, please read ahead.)
Neighbour: ".... And so how is your roommate?".
Me: "Roommate? uh, yes, he is fine. He is actually my husband. I told you about him, that day? Inder?"
N: "No. I mean the other girl."
M: "Other girl? Who?"
N: "There is a girl also who stays with you, doesnt she?"
M: "Oh ... no there used to be that girl roommate with me, but that was only till last winters. She left after that." That was Jenny, with whom I shared the apartment for four months while Inder was away on work in India. She moved back to India for good and is a good friend now.
N: "No, no. I just saw her yesterday."
M: A slight shiver went down my spine. Was there a lady ghost living in my house? Eeks. I nervously shoved the thought away, "No there is no other girl. There is a neighbour upstairs who you might have mistaken with. It's just been me and my husband since last year."
N: "No really I just saw her walk out of your house yesterday. The one who has hair till shoulder, she is taller and always ties her hair."
M: The first line made it sound even more eerie but by the second my light bulb started glowing.
N: Continuing uninterrupted, "See yesterday, there was you cleaning the floor in the afternoon. Remember you said Hi to me?" I was nodding. "And then later when I was going out to my office again, I met your roommate. She went to the car and brought back some cans and stuff into the house. She said Hi to me too."
M: "But that was m...".
N: Cutting, "No no ...bla bla bla".
M: $%$%**^%(^.
Err.. yes, that was me both times. First time, I had my hair open and unkempt; second time, they were neatly tied up. Although I could understand that I looked different in tied hair and open hair, but one is taller than the other? that was the weird one. However, understanding that my dear neighbour was so stuck with his theory of "her and I", as well as to save him any embarassment that he got so confused, I decided not to argue further and let it remain a shhh-roud-ed a'myst-ree.
This was of course an extreme case. But, all said and done, I still prefer the multiplicity of looks to the multiplicity of names.
