Still Single

She is a thirty-something investment banker.
He is a forty-two year old corporate lawyer.

She reads business plans.
He recites Pablo Neruda.

She drinks beer, and doesn’t care where it comes from as long as it is chilled.
He not only drinks wine, but traces its vintage back to the type of manure used in the vineyard.

She grooves to boy-bands.
He prefers jazz.

She likes to watch chick-flicks.
He likes to watch silent-era Russian cinema.

She likes to party.
He likes to cook.


This is the story of Sunita and Karan. This is the story of Still Single. A play that made me laugh a lot, scared me a little and think a little too much.
Staged as part of the Hutch Odeon 2007, Still Single is about a successful career woman “ who is also successfully single”. I guess this is the point where I have to describe the plot to you. But sorry folks, this ain’t a review meant for the pages of some theatrical magazine. This piece is about how I found some more questions to add to the list of that eternal puzzle that had Freud baffled, “ What do women want? But since this just happens to be my blog, we’ll change that to, “What I want”.
It’s like this. Sometimes I know exactly what I want. But most of the times I don’t have a single clue. Just like Sunita, who becomes tired of Mr. Perfect just because he is "Oh-So-Perfect".
This is why chocolates are so much better. I know for certain that I absolutely love Bournville and that I absolutely hate Fruit N’ Nut. But when it comes to men I like them deep and dark, yet nutty at the same time. Can’t think of even Willie Wonka coming up with a combination like that, let alone the human gene pool. But then again, Johnnie Depp does kinda fits the bill, doesn’t he?
If my Orkut profile is to be trusted (which is a little risky given the heavy concentration of weirdoes per square inch of Orkutland), I look for just three qualities in my perfect match:

1. Must love dogs and must not be one.
2. Cooks, cleans and sings.
3. Just happens to look like Ralph Fiennes.

If you just happen to satisfy these criteria, feel free not to apply. They keep changing with the lunar cycle and my mood swings. I remember I had once put up something so insanely difficult to achieve in the same space that it had led an older guy friend to remark, “ Mamoni, jonmeyyo pabe na!” I admit that I was indeed asking for too much: “Mature, sensitive, a good listener”.
Point is, I am not really waiting for Prince Charming to sweep me off my feet. The wind does the needful every time I open my umbrella.