Nope. No tattoos for me.

I have nothing against tattoos. In fact I quite admire some of the pretty, pretty designs I see on necks, ankles, arms, shoulders of various girls/women in Bombay, especially Bandra. But I would never get a tattoo done on myself. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the permanence of the whole damn thing. Or maybe it’s my perception of the pain ( I have a problem with injections too). So when a friend R asked me to accompany her to a famous tattoo studio here in Bandra where she was going for her second tattoo, I was a bit bemused.

Me: Err…listen, I can’t give you moral support, OK? I mean, I’ll probably be the one squirming in my seat.

Her: I know, but I’m leaving for Delhi. For good. In 5 days. Atleast, we’ll get some time to talk.

Me: Ok. Reason enough, I guess.

So we trooped along. She wanted the tattoo on her left inner ankle. The tattoo had to be a small flower. Exactly 1.5 inches in length. Decided young woman. Knows what she wants. We pored and pored over tattoo books and internet sites. But nothing that she saw excited her. Finally the owner of the studio took her wrist and drew a small freehand design consisting of 3 stars and some curvy lines joining them. I must say, I was very impressed. But tempted? No. Our friend finally fell in love with the design and preparations for the actual tattoo began.

We went up a narrow flight of stairs to the cramped 1st floor. All very trippy. Images from Dev D filled my head.

The actual artist who was to do the tattoo left us no room for doubt about his art. It was displayed very generously over his entire body. Yup, he sat there in his shorts, with tattoos streaming all over his chest, back, arms, shoulders….

And then out came the needle. I would have been ready to pass out if I had not been so fascinated with the coolness quotient that this guy was emanating. Funky glasses, a Mac perched on top of the table on which a chat window was open, some music, a earring which I just couldn’t understand ( I think the design required a small portion of his ear to be cut out to accommodate the earring- whoa!).

R was completely unperturbed. This was her second after all. And the first tattoo on her upper arm was way more complicated than this one.

The entire process took about 15 mins. Another friend S ( who too does not want any tattoos) had accompanied R for her first tattoo and had warned me that in spite of all the indignant I -don’t- want- a- tattoo, she did get tempted, if only for a second. I thought about that while I watched R got her tattoo and decided that I wasn’t tempted- even for a second.

All very cool but nah, not for me!

P.S. Maldives? Hahahhahahahahaha. I went to Kashid for a weekend. Sigh. But it was actually quite nice.