MiddlePen

josh-appel-QSipy5RFcSA-unsplash Some years back, I was at the mall with my son for apparel shopping. As he was half-way in his teens, I took it upon myself to teach him the difference between being economical and being miserly. Pertinently, the line between the two is not that thin for these two lines of thought to seem indistinguishable. As my son went through one shirt to the other and then another with a confused countenance, I asked him if the navy blue shirt with a small print in white on it was what he wanted?! He had held this shirt longer and had eyed it temptingly. But something was holding him back. It was the steep price tag he said. It was an expensive shirt as it had a wonderful trendy print. Its tag flaunted a wrinkle free promise and fabric superiority. This shirt I’m sure would render my son’s next free photo-shoot  by a generous friend a good outcome. He looked at me for the signal. I gave in considering his sentiments. I wasn’t economical this ...

“Wow! It’s Pakistani designer suits this time. Come didi let’s go and check out,” my young friend said with delight in her eyes. The ad in the weekend newspaper enticed her to come and check the new sensation in Chandigarh - the City Beautiful. From across the border had come sellers to introduce us to the rich fabrics and prints of Pakistan through the Pakizah  sale and exhibition. The proposition of my friend was indeed tempting! Reasons aplenty A few days back, I had been to “Cotton Fab” and before that to “Cotton Expo” and before that to Rajasthani-Jaipur exhibition and so on. I seem to have heartily obliged each sale-cum-exhibition with purchases, daintily walking out of the hall with shopping bags in my hand. My reason for a purchase was always a convincing one. A good number of cotton kurtis  for long sweltering summers are a necessity as cotton prints fade after multiple washes. One can compensate by scrimping in winters when clothes don’t fray as much. On ...