Belt from the blue!

There are plenty of reasons why such a weird article appears in this blog. Though I’m sure it will not help me in anyway dealing with people who have inspired this post.

Let’s just take a detour here.

Does anyone know when did people on earth start wearing belts? Well, according to history, belts have existed since the Bronze Age, for men as well as women. However, they were popularised by the military junta of Eastern European countries, including Prussia. These individuals wore belts to emphasize their trim physique and flaunt their wide shoulders. Cartoonists often ridiculed these officers, portraying their waists cinched to uncomfortable extents. Modern belts replaced these military ones in 1920, and it became an accessory that assumed a much lower and a comfortable position (on the waist, that is). Of course, today we have all the possible variants of a belt, including the low waist ones (‘ABCD’ – aga bai chaddi distey), sagging belts; not to mention seat belts, conveyor belts, braces, etc.

The point is very simple.

Many people do not like wearing belts or are rather too lazy to do so. I probably belong to the second category. So does Salil, a batch mate, but since he whiles away most of his time studying in the inner section of the library, he is usually away from the hullabaloo generated by the ‘college public’.

One day, when we all were having lunch at Kalpadroom (a lunch room for students at KEM), Rujul suddenly shrieked and took everyone by surprise. “Hey Ani! You’re not wearing a belt!”

Everyone around dropped their morsels and with open mouths stared at my waist for a few seconds. I guess this is a very unique way of getting embarrassed when one is not wearing a belt. I tried convincing everyone that I was indeed very comfortable. I was better off without the strap of leather tethering my abdomen. There was absolutely no question of my trousers slipping away for good, so there was no need for anyone to be fearful (or watchful). However, this news was enough to cause flutters amongst the paparazzi.

It is now quite a known fact in college that Salil and I hate wearing a belt. Rujul reminds me almost everyday, “Ani, you still don’t have a belt!” or “tune belt kyun nahi pehana hai?” One day, she was kind enough to say, “Hey do you want me to gift you a belt on your birthday?” Soon the news spread from Kalpadroom to katta and we had all kinds of fashion statements from demigods themselves – Rohit, Jaskaran, Nazim, Jasmeen, Sanket, Mahesh, Suyog, Chandan - the list is endless. Once, I chanced upon an interesting line which had the entire katta in splits and the person who blurted this out, rather embarrassed. She said, and I quote, “Ani, why don’t you wear a belt? What are your intentions, haan?!”

I guess the last straw was Mansi’s brother, Manan’s marriage reception. I thought that I had been pestered enough and should oblige others at least once. I don’t recollect exactly, but everyone sure gave me a rousing welcome at Nirali’s place the moment they realised I was wearing a belt. We were invited for lunch after which we had all planned some ‘time-pass’. That was the first and the last time I had gathered enough patience to wear the piece of leather.

After that, a couple of humorous remarks by certain acquaintances:

“You are doing medicine from KEM right? Then you must have a lot of experience under your belt!”

“This rural posting is surely going to hit you guys below the belt…!”

“It’s final year, dude. Better tighten your belt.”