They hover around in bunches of twos and threes giving you a surreptitious once-over. They are seemingly engaged in their own funny conversations until you move closer to the racks for a closer look. Then they swoop in on like vultures going for the big kill.

“Yes Ma’am - can I help you?”

“Are you looking for skin products, for face or body, madam?”

“Would you like to try this herbal henna ma’am, it give you very soft hair ma’am?”

As it is you are a little confused by the one thousand and one products on the display array and you are trying to search for that elusive magical-cream-that-works-wonders-in-14-days that was advertised on the telly. When you finally think you spotted it, you realize that the other-magical-cream-that-renews-your-husband’s-love-in-7-days is standing right next to it on the shelf. That is when you move closer to the rack get attacked right-on with the barrage of questions.

“Hold on a minute, please. I would like to check this out for myself,” you reply sternly and start looking at the ingredients to help make you an informed choice of night creams, day creams, face-washes, lotions, masks, screens, scrubs and so on and so forth. After a few minutes of fiddling around - you give up and look around for the very help that you had dismissed earlier. Gently, with a I-told-you-so smirk she will guide you to another line of products for which you had never seen any sort of campaigning anywhere before. That’s when it hits on you that even in this small stretch of mall-space there are domains and terrains. Reflecting back, realization dawns on you slowly - the shop-girl whose area of products you were looking at must have stepped out for a quick cuppa. That’s when this shop-girl marked you “TARGET” the moment you entered the “Cosmetics and Skin Care Products” section all the while chatting gupshup with her buddy from the other lane.

You let yourself be guided now and look at the products that she has in offer. She hands you a pencil-thin tube and urges - “This a Zenaaz Golden Choco Oyster Cream. It will make you look like a bride. Results in 5 days. Just apply daily night before going to sleep” You look at the price, make some mental calculations (you should have attended those abacus classes mum insisted on), 70ml for Rs.267.50 vs 90ml for Rs.289 (why do they make it so difficult to compare?) and gawk in surprise when you finally figure out the figures.

“Hmm Thanks! I think I will come back after finishing with the groceries section.” you murmur to the racks in general, trying to wriggle out of the situation. “OK ma’am, your wish” she replies with “I-know-these-types” wink to her buddies at the nail- polish and lipstick section. You try to step away without so much as glance. But the girls who look like page-three socialites with their immaculately coloured lips and nails still try to entice you with “Yes, Ma’am, can I help you?”

“That’s OK” you give a nod and step past. Finally in the comfort of your home, you pick for the brochure you had thrown away the previous week, tear out the Free Sample Form, fill it and mail it - waiting in anticipation for the home delivery to happen in 4 days.

Filed under: Slice of Life