Monsoon of Memories: Did You Say Free
The urge to ask the vegetable vendor to throw in a fresh sprig of dhaniya (coriander), and throw in a handful of green chilies too, while paying only for the potatoes, tomatoes, and onions. Checking out of the hotel room, and the greed (need) to get our hands on the extra tiny toothpaste tube, the tinier bottles of shampoos and conditioners, and the wear-and-throw spa slippers. Tasting every ice cream flavor, from Caramel Delight to Pretty Rainbow, filling up our hearts and tummies using tiny plastic spoons, before deciding which single scoop we would like to order. Ordering one desi burger at the food court and considering it a right to be offered half a dozen sachets of tomato ketchup and mayonnaise along with it. Soy sauce, yes. Green chilies in vinegar, yes. Ever ordered from a food truck selling desi Chinese? You get all this and more, with the oily, delectable noodles.
The must-ask at a golgappa vendor. After you’ve had your plate of golgappas, you ask for the extra spicy-sweet paani (water) and, of course, an extra golgappa minus the fillings to deal with all the spices after the indulgence. Walking past a stall at an exhibition hall selling churans (digestives) and tasting each one, from amla (gooseberry) to imli (tamarind) and beyond, before buying a box or a packet to take home. Chili flakes, yes. Oregano, yes. Pizza boxes have to and should come with extra sachets of this and more. Why else do we order the pizza?
These are just a few liberties that I’ve exploited and indulged in as an Indian. And, if you were to confess, you too would have or still do. A few of us may crimp our noses at such embarrassing tales, but truth be told, who doesn’t like a freebie thrown in the cart, an experience enhanced?
What’s it about the “free stuff” that makes it far more charming and promising than the sales, discounts, and the buy-one-get-one offers? We’re all known to get excited at the sight of mint candies lying in the lobby of a hotel or on the counter of a retail store. If experts are to be relied on, free can be labeled as a powerful emotional trigger, often so irresistible that it makes us take home mostly useless stuff! The emotion that the term “free” triggers is known as the Zero Price Effect.
How often have you thrown out expired sachets of condiments and conditioners? Well, irrespective of how many freebies you have, I guess the charm doesn’t go away. Of course, as I speak now, while we continue to relish complimentary stuff, the offerings have become a tad sophisticated. Alas, we can no longer share Netflix passwords But our smiles widen when we are upgraded from economy class to business class.
So, the next time you get your hands on something free, allow yourself to feel giddy with excitement. You deserve it.
Purva Grover is an author, journalist, poet, playwright, and stage director. A postgraduate in mass communication and literature, she is the founder editor of The Indian Trumpet, a digital magazine for Indian expats in the UAE. She can be reached at grover.purva@gmail.com. To comment on this article, please write to letters@khabar.com.
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