Hisab Barabar

This is smart, compassionate, funny and wise. Please write more!

neembu... thanks, it was my maiden effort on Chowk. I will certainly return with more.

Ladies, I wanted to know your opinion on a "mistake" I made.

An "old" lady, OK... not so old...48/49... 20 years older than me... When I called her aunty, I felt she was tortured by the word... Then I was told later that I should not call her auntie... Her oldest son is a couple of years younger than me... Well, was I actually at fault or it was something to do with bio-chemical reactions of her post 40 days.

Charlie... well you know the situation better than all of us. But I wonder why there is a derogatory connotation involved with the word. I am all of 33 and do not mind being called one, especially when 15-16 olds would also call me auntie simply because they are my daughter's (she is 9 and a half) game-mates at school. I take it in the stride. There is nothing more graceful than accepting the growing age and the resultant changing status. Till yesterday, you and I could perhaps call a 50-something as an uncle or auntie, today many of them would mind it.

In this heavy political site, I think it was a good article reminding us of the life and its daily comic situations. Good attempt!

My mom is 48... I have seen her calling "baita" to people of her own age... What I feel is that calling someone "baita" makes other people respect you more... and if you are supervising some of them, your authority is confirmed...

Now, it is another issue, how she might be feeling being called "auntie" in return to "baita" ... :)

hilarious!

RMor... thanks
Charlie... Addressing someone younger to me as 'beta' is something that I do too and I feel that sense of respect I glean due to that. And I feel that if your mom does like to say 'beta' she is definitely prepared to be addressed as 'auntie'. Ask her, she will tell u that she doesnt mind it.
Skeptical... I am glad you liked it.

Brought a smile to my lips...interesting bit of social observation.

It's no wonder the ideas most popular among women are: 'age is just a state of mind' and 'life starts at 40'!