In one such passing-by of sorts, as my eyes registered only in passing the shapes of the clothed bodies of this generation, the generation immediately after mine, the Gen-Z as they are called, I had a realisation that had been marinating itself subconsciously in my head for days until that day; this day of revelation.
My head, bobbing and sometimes vibrating against the glass on the window, which was slightly dusty from that one temporarily off-road detour we had taken a few minutes earlier, blurted out through its (sometimes my) mouth something that would stay with us for weeks and perhaps years to come.
‘Surat-e-haal kaafi Balenciaga hain’—The state of affairs is quite Balenciaga—I had said, with the sigh of someone drifting dizzyingly into the irrelevance of the slightly older generation.
As I said this, my friend maintained, not very well albeit, a composure of profundity, while also clearly at the crinkled-face brink of laughing out loud. He was not maintaining appearances; he was, in fact, truly struggling. He was, after all, my friend of three years, privy to every secret of mine and not without the gall and friendly capital to mock my less-than-quotable quotes. There was, in this sentence, such stupid genius that even he did not know what best to do.
Bu hikaye Outlook dergisinin 01 Oct 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Outlook dergisinin 01 Oct 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Voters' Cold Wave
Heat wave, voter apathy and cyclic migration are blamed for the poor voter turnout in Bihar. Political parties are clueless about what impact will it have on election results
Gashes in the Red Sand
Residents of the tribal district of Gadchiroli resist development models that destroy the environment
When Taps and Hope Run Dry
Peaking water scarcity and pervasive groundwater contamination have increased migration from many districts of Rajasthan.
Pilgrim's Politics
Two-time MP from Varanasi, Narendra Modi, is sculpting the eternal city in his image
Missing in the Margins
The Katkari community in Raigad district has been facing issues like cyclic migration, no rights over forest land, and a dearth of basic facilities. But these concerns don’t find mention in the high-pitched political debates
Raag Darbari in Dharwad
Karnataka’s Hubballi has been the BJP’s ‘gateway to the south’ and remains a hotbed for communal polarisation, as the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad head to Lok Sabha polls on May 7
Coastal Turbulence
Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada-districts in coastal Karnataka, which witnessed increased instances of polarisation in the last few years-have been the BJP's stronghold
A Return to the Ballot?
Separatist politics may not influence the general elections in Kashmir this time
The Stained Floodplains
In the calm foothills of the Eastern Himalayas, there is a storm brewing between the BJP and the TMC. The voters are divided
Minimum Support Life
Politicians visiting Madhya Pradesh are making big promises to the people, but for the Adivasis, it's still about Jal, Jungle, Jameen