Treat: tummy tremors

Enjoyed chilly pungent pizza with arthropods!!!

BILAL HUSSAIN

Friday, first day of work after Eid ul-Fitr, in the morning itself thought of not turning up to the workstation but then meeting colleagues was an attraction to be there at. Was first one to mark my presence but of no use, anyways thanks to good friend of mine who dropped me to the office and yes, credit goes to his old but reliable bike as well. Since, none had shown up, we waked to enjoy a cup of tea, but had to settle with juices only. He then left for his office.

As is true with other places, here also office boys reach earlier compared to their superiors. I somehow could get along well with them, may be that I don't believe in official hierarchy, or most of them are of mine age, so can relate to them.

Since, most officials hadn't checked in, office boys and few colleagues suggested of playing cricket; I took out some bucks from my thick purse— carrying less of money and more of business cards— for getting a fresh ball and then we all started to burn out some oils from our fat packed bodies.

All of sudden few of younger friends [Prefer to call them friends rather than taught] who had ordered yummy pizzas, while chatting with made mention of it. Oh! come on... Pizza is around and I'm gonna watch you people eating it, without having a pie..... Can't resist it especially when I had lost some calories early morning.

Anyways, they invited me too for the treat, thought of should I or should I not? Well timed call from the tummy decided it all. Thank you gals!!!

They have ordered sufficient variety of pizzas, mine pie is not gonna cost too much on someone (a random but an immediate thought). Without wasting much of the time I unpacked one of boxes, Ah!!! shocked I was, No no no it was not empty..... pizza was there in the box only but with some extra baggage; yes arthropods, which seemed to have enjoyed pizza before homo-sapiens could even have seen it; forget about tasting it. Alas! everything stood dashed on the ground....

Not that the pizza-house has supplied the boxes with that extra baggage but, it was D-gal —casual and carefree among the group— who had kept the packs on the lovely natural carpet, green grass, for longer which had attracted the arthropods to creep inside.

Hey wait, one daredevil gal stood out and with a firm voice said arthropods haven't gone inside the pizza, they are just roaming over it. Immediately, I shouted saying; please have one slice to assure us all. More than anything else just to prove herself right she took a slice withered away the unwanted guests and tasted it. This act was not convincing enough for all the invited people out there.

Another friend of hers, from north, in a softer tone seconded her and took another pie from the box and slowly tasted it all, mentioning that none has ever died by eating arthropods. Rest of us like dumb driven cattle had been left with no option but to follow them and we all did had it one by one. I had three slices, and yes last one was unforgettable. The get starter, daredevil offered me a piece that she had poured with full pungent pack, the D-gal insisted not to, but of no use, instead she unzipped another spicy powder packet to cover the whole piece. Poor me! thought of turning down the piece but then thought it might hurt her; so had it full but thanks to D-gal who offered a glass of soft drink to make it palpable.

As expected immediately, after the adventurous and unforgettable treat was over, all I could feel was tremors in my tummy. Thanks to the chilly pungent pizza with arthropods!!! No offenses to anyone, hope to enjoy more pizzas, but this time it would be hot, free from unwanted guests with little spices.

Back home lesson

It hardly matters what you had but what counts is the lovely moments you have with the people. Those cherished time, pleasant or even unpleasant, which remains with us all through out is most that matters. Thank you gals!

[Author can be reached at ibilalhussain@gmail.com]

Economics of love

Bilal Hussain

To me love is caring about someone so deeply that life looks incomplete when they are away, however, the connotations for love are many and varied. While, economics is about allocation of scarce goods and services. Nothing more scarce than love, it is rare, hard to come by and often fragile as well.

The ambit of both fields apparently seems separate but I have observed that they do intersect and overlap each other on many fronts hence: economics of love. Based on the experiences heard from near and dear ones, I could safely say that the return in love is proportional to the amount of time and devotion invested in it. The amount of love one gets from an investment in it is correlated to the amount of self one has invested in the relationship.

It is believed that love addresses spiritual needs of humans, in the rare state where two become one, something that most of us desire for. Moving from spirituality to pricing, to associate a price with the love, looks insane but few have attempted it, let me put it how.

Pricing of love is challenging than the normal pricing of stocks or commodities because there is no public marketplace for 'true love'. However, the alternative to market-driven pricing is the familiar territory of cost plus pricing.

Consider costs of love: one, the cost of search, finding 'true love'. The cost of search is amount of time and energy spent in networking and information gathering, among many other practices. Two, the cost of dating, again time-cost, and the recurring cost of restaurants. It also includes the cost of possible distractions from career. Three, cost of rejection, which includes the high emotional cost of being dumped. Being optimistic, hope it won’t happen then moving further to other costs. Four, maintenance cost once the love affair has taken a more serious tone. Five, cost of long-term partnership, opportunity cost of giving up one’s freedom in pursuing another potentially 'exciting partner', as well as the opportunity cost of career and life adjustments. And lastly, cost of love is the cost of a potential incompatibility and break-up, including the inevitable mess that accompanies such separation.

Interestingly look at the similarities, the investments that are based on care and unselfishness, the investor gets those things back. The quality bonds consistently yield more return than trash, so is with quality love. As for the returns it is said that junk bonds are free money but because of the high default risk, the bonds rarely outperform quality investments. As far love is concerned stay with high quality human beings. Once you find that you are in a junk relationship, 'sell immediately'. Junk situations can look appealing and seductive, but trash is trash.

Like investments in stocks, long-term romantic relations returns are greater. Don't pick stocks for short terms vision as most a times it is risky and can put you at loss, same hold true for love.

Before you invest make sure that the returns on your investment should at least equal the cost of the investment. If you are getting less back than you put in over a considerable period of time, back off.

Ben Franklin has summed it “In times of stress, the three best things to have are an old dog, an old wife and ready money. How right he was?”

There is more that could be said about the economics of love, but these thoughts could possibly divert someone while he/she might be thinking about his/her future love. To end I would say invest smart and stay happy!