Mind is Tiffany-twisted, She's got the Mercedes bends

'Hotel California' by the Eagles is a classic. It is a huge deal coming from me because music isn't particularly my thing. As shocking as it may be I don't have music playing on my laptop every time I switch it on, I don't think I need to be listening to a particular playlist when I'm in the car and a different playlist when I'm in the bus; you get the drift, right? Music isn't really my thing. Hence, my 'list' of songs is rather select and, if I may say so myself, classic. No, no snob comments here; I am a hardcore Bollywood-only listener too. That's what MTV plays. Apart from that, It's all very Hotel California and Alice.

Regardless, this post is about my Tiffany twisted mind and my Mercedes bends. Yes, contrary to popular belief, it's Bends and not Benz.
I had read somewhere a while back that the song talked about how materialism traps people. The reference to Tiffany is about the famous jewelery store.'Bends' is used in the sense of the weakening condition; also, as a Bend (hindrance) to progress, courtesy the material trap. Even California, as a state, is a symbol of good life and prosperity.
Ever read so much into a song? If it's not the English Undergraduate student in me talking.

After this reading, I always thought I fit the bill completely with my Tiffany twisted mind and Mercedes bends. "We are living in a material world and I am a material girl."; Madonna sure knew what she was talking about. For me, holidays, for example, were all about going to pretty places, staying at pretty hotels, looking pretty, doing pretty things; basically an epitome of prettiness were what my ideal holidays were. None of that trekking, getting dirty, not caring what to wear, not spending too much money, travelling cheap; it never worked for me.
Never, until a this Sunday.

It was A's time to go back to her forsaken Dehradoon plays. The fun week was over. Hence, we decided to go along with her for a day. It was all good until the 'we' reduced to 'I' as the others couldn't come due to xyz reasons. Now, I am not particularly a travel person, even less so when in a bus to a place I know nothing about.. Still, a friend is a friend is a friend. I decided to go along.

Took metro till the bus station, which is really far. Now 10pm in the night at Delhi for three girls unaccompanied by anything male isn't the safest bet, really.  We got ourselves the tickets, A, her roommate and I were sufficiently equipped by now in our AC Deluxe Delhi to Doon bus. I felt very cool having taken up this endeavor.

Delhi Bus Station Departure : 22:30 hrs
We met this group of five boys in the bus- lots of fun followed. They were very sweet and lively people and all this without the hints of creepiness or bad intentions. For some reason, the three of us without any prior discussion, fake name-ed them. It was very silly, yes. But it would have been sillier to correct them after they passed our 'Is He Creepy' test. So A, Roommate and I were Sanjana, Ahana and Aira, respectively. The seven hour journey saw us sleeping, talking, laughing, eating, drinking (whiskey in thums up with the boys :P) etc. The chai and smoke we caught in the 20min break the bus took were truly special.
Dehradoon Bus Station Arrival : 4:50 hrs.

I had changed to boxers in the train (yaa.I've always been brave when it came to public changing!) and 4:50hrs, Dehradoon is very cold. I had fallen in love, already!

After an epic of a trip with all things special and fun, I returned. Alone.

I never thought I had it in me to manage it. The bus broke down on the way, our money was returned, I had to board a random bus to Delhi; all on my own. I befriended this boy, Abhijeet who was on his way to Indore for some sport trials; we talked together, laughed together, slept together (errr..on our respective bus seats) and flirted shamelessly in Bengali. Reaching Delhi, he was also fake number-ed by yours truly, obviously! I ate at McDonalds all by myself and then took a metro and further an auto and reached home.

All in all, I think the trip has made me appreciative of things that are not necessarily gilded, sparkled and Tifany-ed. I liked this whole 'on my own' endeavour. I am way to dependent on people and things, it's true. But now, at least once in a while, I can shake off some Mercedes bends off me and become a cooler person.
Amen to that! (Not a god believer. Don't think his name should enjoy the status of starting with a capital letter. More about that, some other time!)

'Hotel California' by the Eagles is a classic.