An Undventure.

It’s been a year or two now and the day is still clearly etched in mind, it was the day I stepped inside an undergarment mega sale. A big hall filled with many rows of tables with various kinds of undergarments and a large number of people sifting through to find the perfect one (in this case maybe two or even a dozen). The area was bustling with people across different age groups painstakingly going through layers and layers of you know what.

Some were closely examining the inner workings of the inner wear, while others looked at it as if looking at lab specimens of an alien species. Then there were those who tested the elasticity quotient of the underwear to such an extent that by the time they are done even an elephant would find it loose. At every table at some point in the unraveling somebody would inadvertently discover a unique piece of underwear which would unveil disdainful glares from most and an evil grin from the few who quickly buried it under the expression of disdain.

At times two people would end up picking the same piece and then one of them would sheepishly withdraw from the fight for the prized possession judging the complexity of the situation. The faces of everyone went through a constant flux from confusion to excitement, from constipation to contentment, from a momentary disillusionment to a sudden eureka. In all there were as many myriad emotions as the types of undergarments strewn on the tables. Many people even came up with game plans like individual members of a group would go to different tables thus optimizing their underwear search index and efficiency. There was a constant hum of murmurs which would be broken at regular intervals  by somebody shouting “arre mil gaya” or “isme green line wala hai kya” or “yeh style purana hai yaar” or “yeh sahi lagega na” (prompting the listener to imagine…ahem) etc., etc.

So, there I was deciphering strange facial contortions and the gravity of the activity went a notch up when an old uncle called up someone on his cellphone and asked about the underwear types and quantities to be bought for some family members or relatives (whichever is more applicable according to the rules of absurdity). He passed on this information to his wife, who in turn asked him to further inquire about the intricate design details and pattern preferences. So imagine this (if you want to) an old couple going through a bundle of undergarments constantly debating the various facets of each piece which one would suit which person and why.

Some carried a dozen, while some nit-picked on one and then there were those who just stood with that indecisive stare. I am sure there might have been one or two like me who forgot their primary objective and got completely engrossed in the anthropological aspects of the underwear sale.

The scenario was similar at every table; the amount of deliberation and discussion that went on at each was simply mind boggling. Every table was in a way an active forum where terabytes of consumer insights; mindsets and trends were being broadcast.

 

Finally I came to the end of my experiential tour, having pretty much decided in my mind about not buying thanks to the mammoth queue at the billing counters. What further cemented this decision was the sudden glance at a door at the end of another mammoth queue with a sign that read –trial room

 

If  it’s stranger than fiction it must be the truth.