A secret sisterhood called Priyanka

I belong to a breed, a breed called Priyanka, undoubtedly a name my parents thought was unique, but I am increasingly finding out otherwise.

As part of this privileged sisterhood, let me do the honours and introduce you to my breed. Priyankas are known to be friendly females who are found in all shapes and sizes.

Just take a local bus or train to anywhere at any time and you are bound to bump into one of us. The best part is my breed is filled with surprises. In fact, I keep finding them in the most unexpected places.

Just a few days ago, I discovered something new while I was at a friend’s house. My friend and I were busy catching up over lunch till suddenly her mother yelled out angrily saying “Priyankaa, tum ne aaj phir katka thik se nahi lagaya hai.” At this moment, I gulped whatever was in my mouth and gave my friend a dead stare. Soon, she whispered and let out the secret. “We have hired a new maid named Priyanka,” she revealed.

And this is when I learnt we are also found across all kinds of socio-economic backgrounds.

But I love my breed. Somewhere I always know in my heart that one of us is around. Like the other day at the mall, there was a sudden announcement: “Priyanka, please come to the second floor immediately.” Confused, I began to walk towards the stairs when another announcement went off. This time, the lady on the mike sounded like she was having a panic attack as she said: “Priyanka, please come to the second floor. Your son Rajveer is waiting for you.” Yet again, I froze. It took me roughly half-a-second to realise, well, I am not married.

Lastly, there is one thing that I must mention about us. We might know of each other’s presence, but we hardly ever bond. We believe in giving space. Let me explain. The other day, I was getting to office and it was relatively early. Like me, most of my co-passengers were taking their travel nap. Soon, one furious lady got in. She was yelling loudly over the phone. All was okay till she howled “Priyankaa, you still have not done your work! What will I tell the client?”

This is when my eyes shot wide open. Soon I noticed this other girl who was in deep sleep a second back was now staring wide-eyed at the loud lady.

That is when both of us glanced at each other and realised that we belonged to the same clan. We promptly shut our eyes!