So it is Christmas..

Once upon a time, in a December long long ago, I remember waking up to the rhythmic beats of a toy drum. I turned towards the noise, still half asleep. I opened my eyes and I saw a little old Santa Claus right beside me, bringing his tiny drumsticks down to the drum that he carried...Dad and mom came next to me and wished me a merry christmas.

That image of that toy Santa and his drum is still the most cherished memory of Christmas that I carry. Now don't ask me why. Over the years the way I look at Christmas has changed. Now I don't expect Santa to come to me and ask me what I want. (Though I wish that I could have been in place of the child who was sitting on the lap of a very more than just charming Ms. Santa at the shopping mall yesterday).

The only thing that reminds me that Christmas is here is that there is a slight drop in the temperature around here. But that slight drop in the temperature is more than compensated for whenever a pretty charming somebody passes me by..and the mercury rises again..and how!

Christmas calls for shopping! My bro wanted to buy my mom a saree for her birthday..and since he wasn't in the right place, he asked me to get one.Apparently, Chennai is supposed to be a good place for sarees. After much indecision, consternation, procrastination and a lot of other -tions, I dragged my ignorant feet into the cool confines of a prestigious saree showroom in town.

Now I am no Mr. Perfect that I know how to select the right saree for a woman..even if that lady is my mom. So I had sent out an SOS to a female colleague of mine to bail me out of the situation. She agreed to come and help me out. But like the Carpathian for the Titanic, her aid was still half an hour away. I had to manage not to make myself look like Arnold Schwarzenegger** till then. I had to formulate a plan of action.

I started a meaningful stroll around the place. I completed one revolution of the store, guys behind saree laden counters with tags around their necks (yes! they too have tags now!!) looking inquiringly at me. I tried to look knowledgeful and information-ful. I never manage to carry that off successfully and this time was no exception. Let me just say that my colleague came and spared me the blushes.

The latter part of the day was spent at a bookstore at Spencers. This mall looks more and more delicious day by day! I inadvertently kept following a demure angel in pink. GOD she was beautiful!! I kept following her counter after counter..I managed to show interest in the books she was browsing,I daresay that she noticed me following her..a few minutes later, I was tailing an Indian Bo Derek, this was a more oomph filled persona...and a gap of about 3 minutes saw me changing loyalties once again! Such a lotta distractions all around me..Santa was obviously tempting me too much!!

There was this cute Santa hut they had put up at this mall, and I went to have a cynical look. There was a rather saintly looking guy sitting there with a kid on his lap...My cynical eyes were leaving the enclosure when lo and behold, they landed on a bombshell in red. Floppy red Santa hat, a curvaceous figure in a red jacket and a red skirt that reached a little below her knees- MS. CLAUS!! She was beckoning to a toddler who was hardly even raised an eyebrow..and HERE I WAS ALL EYES AND EARS!!! But she hardly even cast a look in my direction..

I longed for my lost childhood...

Christmas is not just a day people, it's a feeling of joy, warmth, hope, love, (Gawd! what's happening to me?)....It's not just a day..it's a season..so a little bit in advance,

MERRY CHRISTMAS
AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Somebody tell Santa I've been a good boy...

Or wait..don't tell him. Tell Ms. Santa.

** read very very dumb