Many of my friends like to smoke cigarettes. I do not like to because I do not find any amusement in the smoke it gives and the trouble it gives birth to. It happens often that I am with them when they want to burn their hearts with this wonderful thing. Oh, I meant lungs. I usually stay away from the smoke and the cigarette part, but what fascinates me the most is this invention called lighter. Apparently, lighters were invented before the matchsticks. The earliest of them were just like gun which had flintsticks or flintwicks to produce fire. I stare at this little thing that ignites whenever press a button. The small pocket pencil like tool becomes a weapon of destruction or a spark of ignition that celebrates life by blowing candles. These little things are always fascinating to me and I always think that I would buy one for me but then my total gujarati and minimalistic mindset shuns me from getting these things which would have little to no purpose in my life.

As I continue playing with the lighter and go on igniting and extinguishing the flame, ( you can totally imagine me saying she loves me or she loves me not  like how they used to do in the bollywood movies once upon a time. Now they do not because roses are expensive af.) I hear my friend calling me. She asks me to get out tissues from her bag as she has spilled water on the table. I try to find things in her bag but to no avail. I then carefully remove a few things to find the tissue and there it lies, hidden under the burden of world but having no refuge in it. As she wipes the marks, the wannabe poet in me cracks this perfect line-

“ Galti to mita doge, feel  aur guilt ko kaise hatoage? “

( you might wipe off the scars but how shall you erase the guilt?)

—Promotion break—

If you are reading this letter for the first time, you can check out other several posts such as Attire of Care, Gossip and Water Bottles, Travel and Movies, Chair and Footwear, Mental Health and Curtains, Fans and advertisements, Gardening and Economies of effort, Lights and Rejection, Bags and Batman, Doors, and Feminism, Driving and Friendship, or Humor and Instant Messaging! Also, if you reply to this email, I would get your message so do send me your ideas and suggestions.

—Back to the post—

She simply gives me a look and throws the tissue on me which I manage to dodge. And we focus back on the lighter. It had some amount of liquid left and it was about to get over.I was given the prestigious task to complete it because gharwale do not realize that lighters can be used to burn candles also and they are always for burning cigarettes. Sometimes, even the dead emotions in us. She then goes on to say how one of her exes had given her a lighter as a gift. Which is the strangest thing to hear. I say,

“ Cheeze to jala loge, rishto ko kaise jalaoge?”
( you might burn the things but how shall your burn the feelings and the relations)

This time, the tissue gets replaced by a splash of water from the glass. Yes. That is how respectful my friends are. They try to purify me when I try and crack these poetic lines. Now you know how and why I write so brilliantly. As I try to come out of this attack that I suffered, my friend is so enamored by a person who just walked in. It was a woman in her late 50s. The friend, lets called her Ann, is in awe with this old lady, which we  will call Elizabeth. So Ann is now excited and wants to say this to Elizabeth but she is shy and her friends like me tell her that Elizabeth is with her family and it is not a good idea to invade their space. So she waits and tries to focus on the food or at least acts to do so while she is busy with the same thoughts. Ann likes the shade of the lipstick that Elizabeth is wearing in particular and is curious to know it. She shares this with us and we ( the other friend was a guy too) are clueless about it. I spare a thought about lipsticks and here are the thoughts that I have had.

Lipsticks are so gender specific. If a man wears it, he is either into acting or something is wrong to him according to the society. In fact, each color signifies something or the other. I remember a person saying to their girl best friend that red shade looks “Too Bold” for office. When they wear black lipstick, they are usually trying to do something different or have a goth look. There is a spectrum of acceptable shades. Also, if a man has a mark of lipstick on his shirt, it is either a sign of Dhoka, ( this is what you learn from very popular Bollywood movies or typical Indian shows. Thank God  for OTT and Anupama.) or you had a great time. There is no chance of having a cosmetic accident in the house where the lipstick has malfunctioned or leaked.

Interestingly, I looked on the internet for lipsticks and there is a speculation that many major beauty brands have significant amount of lead in their lipsticks which make it harmful for human usage.

{ Dear Maggi,

You were never alone. I was always with you!.

With love,
Lipsticks.

Maybe (on) line
&
Lo(w)Real }

-Break-

Also, you should check out refind.com, a place where you can barter promotions. That is, if you get them 10 visits, they get you 10 back! Do check it out and help me to spread my newsletter!

-Back to the post-

In fact, there are some claims that this lead can have significant impact on the foetus in pregnant women and cause severe damage. However, this is still in talks and there is not much resolution shown in this line. It is also said the levels are only harmful in the long run and not extensively dangerous.

So as I have this train of thought about lipsticks, I realize how both lighters and lipsticks are essentially a thing that you use close to your lips. Interestingly, it is said that cigarettes make the lips black. Now you know why lipsticks and lighters go hand in hand. Both are forms of an intimate expression. There are so many scenes in movies wherein they use the lighter to show the relation of the two people involved. Depending on the way they offer the lighter to light the cigarette, the relationship is defined. If the person goes close and shares the lighter, there is a close bond between them. If the person only gives the lighter, there is hierarchy and quest for status is seen.

While the sharing of lighter can be a universal act, the application of lipstick is much more nuanced and gendered. It is generally females that would apply lipstick or share it if the need be. The shade and the intensity of the color also defines their status and occupation at several places. Notice how the shades of lipstick change in Gangubai Kathiawadi as she performs different roles and is in different situations. She has no lipstick when she is forced into prostitution. She wears a bold red shade when she is doing her job and when she is in meetings, the shade can be lighter.

Perhaps the most brilliant usage of the word lipstick is when it was used in a movie that talked about lives of women. A movie named Lipstick under My Burkha. A movie that was the talk of the town and censor board tried to eliminate many scenes from it but it failed. See how brilliant the usage is. Burka becomes a protection and lipstick becomes the symbol of desire and freedom.

It is interesting to note how both, lipsticks and lighters directly or indirectly relate to the idea of having the Cupid’s bow ( the shape of the upper lip) look perfect or more attractive. Lipsticks are applied to enhance that feature whereas the act of smoking makes the lips come together in a fashion that enhances that.

In fact, both the things are done with a poker face or a serious expression as compared to a smile. From whatever little I have observed, it becomes a process that starts with having your lips in a serious state together, then you widen them to either release the smoke or to adjust the lipstick. In any way, you are starting off sad and ending up happy. Both are good things, ain’t they?

But wait, lighters are used to light candles too. Of birthday cakes. Which essentially tell you that you are dying and you have one less year to live. Happy Birthday! :D And the cake might also spoil the lipstick. For you to decide which one is better but I certainly do not want to see Mukesh dying for the 0395-9245th time and Rahul Dravid explaining me not to smoke.  I am more interested in its sequels now. Time for update.

Share

Until the time it gets updated, take care and stay safe.

Have a look at the customaries-

A song about the effect of Lipstick on a Jilla!

Let me know how this edition of the newsletter was. You can comment or reply to this email! I would get your response in private!

Until next time,

Take care!