The social-status race among wealthy Amdavadis has been accelerated by social-networking sites like Facebook, with high-end cars being bought in some instances with the express purpose of embellishing online profile pictures!
A case in point is Dr Rajiv Tapodhan, 31, who picked up a Skoda as though it was a pack of chips, after he noticed that a friend’s wife was flaunting a new Honda Civic on Facebook. Tapodhan’s auto response to keep ahead in the showing-off contest was provoked by Sheetal Joshi, a Bopal homemaker. Sheetal’s husband, Malhar Joshi, who is Tapodhan’s friend, had gifted her a red Honda Civic for her 29th birthday, which fell on January 2.
The ecstatic Sheetal immediately put on Facebook her pictures that starred the shiny car.The images may have fuelled smugness in Malhar Joshi, a 33-year-old textile merchant. But in Tapodhan’s case, the pictures cranked envy into a high gear.
“If Malhar can buy a Honda Civic for his wife and post the car’s pictures on a networking site for everyone in our group to see, I jolly well can keep up!” Tapodhan said. “I lost no time in gifting my wife a beige-coloured Skoda Octavia on our fourth wedding anniversary, which was on January 28.”
Tapodhan’s wife, Rakhi, a 26-year-old teacher, has become a greater fan of Facebook and enthusiastically posed for pictures with her spanking new Skoda. In fact, the images were uploaded on the site within hours of the car being delivered.
The braggart’s rally featuring Joshi and Tapodhan has drawn a third contestant, their common friend, Apoorva Gajjar, a 34-year-old builder. Gajjar is frantically trying to buy a Chevrolet Cruze just to pump up his Facebook profile. “Initially, I had planned to buy a Honda City,” Gajjar said. “But when my wife Neha spotted the pictures posted by Joshis and Tapodhans, we decided to buy a car that was way more posh than theirs!”
Gajjar’swife, Neha (32) said, “The car is not in stock, so we are using all our sources and means to get it this month.” She said she would have her whole family pose for a picture with the car. “When I post the pictures on Facebook, I will be sure to add its price tag!” she said.
(Names have been changed to protect identities)
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