What is that attracts me so much to the Gents toilet that I always tend to walk in to it so casually like I was walking into my own cosy bedroom. This has happened to me like thrice!! There is a saying that goes “Once bitten twice shy”.. Thrice bitten and yet shameless!! That's me for you...
Now the first time it happened to me was when I went to watch Dasavatharam (yawn yawn) … well it must have been the movie that would have put me to sleep and made me sleep walk right into the Gents toilet.. (So don't blame me for that!!) My friends, Neelima and Ram (then-friend) and me walked out of the theatre sleepily when Ram says something which we both don’t comprehend and yet nod our heads sleepily and follow him. In spite of the dirty stares from 30 odd men, Neelima and me still don’t realise the reason for their baffled looks... We were already acting like 'typical feminists' (keeping our chin high) and asking ourselves "Why are we being stared at! Don’t we have the liberty to walk freely in this world? Why God why!!" And at once, we were hit by the words of a man who calmly yet ‘as a matter of fact’ tells us “This is the Men’s toilet, the ladies is on the other side” … We were flabbergasted! We staggered out of the place, leaving behind the 30 men smile at us viciously.
With all the shame surrounding us, we ran and hid ourselves behind some walls till Ram walks out looking out for us. I stood wondering ‘Havent you been to the loo for weeks?' He reads my mind and says 'There was a huge crowd!' *Sometimes I wonder how people feel like peeing at the same time* We give him the most silliest smile of ours and relate the incident to him. He laughs his heart out, quite literally making everyone in the theatre know the reason behind it! Guess what? This piece of valuable information gets passed on to all our common friends and everytime any of them had to go to the restroom in a restaurant, theatre, home or even in the train, my friend and me were given pre-emptive notice as to where they were heading to …
Anyways leaving the past behind, we moved on ;)
The second incident did no major damage as the first though I never learnt my lesson :) .. This happened in a hotel in Kerala when I went to wash my hands and almost stepped into the gents toilet when my mom called out and directed me to the Ladies washroom. I was saved this time with no major embarrassment! No wonder they say – Moms are another Avatar of God :D
The third and final … gulp gulp gulp … the worst of all I would say :( Our visit to Skywalk @ Anna Nagar. After a sumptuous meal and a lot of finger licking, a need to wash hands was not required yet considering the heat of Chennai and my ‘chicken-licked’ hands wiping the sweat off my brows and face made me think otherwise. Overtook an old lady and competed against a 10 yr old boy to the washroom and proudly started washing my hands only to realise 2 men and the 10 yr old staring at me ... I innocently looked at them and the 10 yr old (with every ounce of pride brimming in him) says "You are in the wrong washroom. The ladies room comes just before this one!" I almost collapsed!
In the pursuit to win the first place among the old lady and the 10 yr old, I missed to notice that I had already crossed the ladies washroom and had walked into the men’s washroom… To conceal my embarassment, I instantly I bore all my "chicken-wiped" teeth, apologised and rushed out of the room. The grandmom I overtook had already washed her hands and gave me her look of accomplishment! Feeling like a complete buffoon and not wanting the others who hadnt witnessed the scene to know, I modestly walked out like I was the owner of Skywalk and had the rights to walk anywhere I wanted! I quietly went to the table where Ram (by then my husband) and brother in law were finishing the last of their meal. After stylishly seating myself (and making sure nobody was watching) I started giggling and Ram knowingly asked me ‘Did you do anything wrong?” And without thinking twice he asked "Don't tell me you walked into the Gents washroom again!" I nodded Yes :) *Like I was accepting his proposal again!*
My brother-in-law and Ram bursted out laughing.. What would he have thought of his 29 day old sis-in-law…? God! She is 'Loo’ dicrous!
So folks, this happened almost an year back but I posted this now to let you all know that I am very very careful now :)
