Author: Tarique Sani

As an offshoot of a completely frivolous thread here starring and – yeah it reminded me of good guy, bad guy, damsel in distress 😉 – I started research on available resources about “Indian Penal Code” on the net. To be more specific, interpretation of IPC sections relating to Indecent Exposure, Nudity and Obscenity.

I was able to get the relevant section, section 292, which for the curious defines obscene as “… shall be deemed to be obscene it it is lascivious or appeals to the prurient interest or if its effect, or (where it comprises two or more distinct items) the effect of any one of its items, is, if taken as a whole, such as to tend to deprave and corrupt persons who are likely, having regard to all relevant circumstances, to read, see or hear the matter contained or embodied in it.”

As it can be read, the definition is completely interpretive in nature. We had learnt the interpretations in Forensic Medicine, I will let pass the anatomic details BUT a single line interpretation in my understanding is “Top 1/3rd is expose able and bottom 1/3rd definitely OK as long as it is in such a place where minors cannot see it BUT expose the frontal mid 1/3rd and you are in trouble with the law!!”

We accepted this as gospel truth since its implication amounted to nothing more than a question in Viva Voce, but since yesterday I have been wondering who/what/where was it decided to be interpreted as such?

Which are the relevant cases and the decisions? As far as I can recall right from the days of Protima Bedi nobody has been really punished under this law ….

There are more equally ambiguous laws regarding improper depiction of women etc. Definitely human anatomy is not at all ambiguous … … Well at least in most cases!

Any lawyer reading this?

thanks to for the link

The little woman for whom I wrote this guide nearly 5 years ago got married day before yesterday on 15th May. God bless her. Though she has done several things which did not please me (getting married is not one of them 😉 she really did follow a lot of what I wrote for her and to a very good effect.

5 years ago she had resigned herself to be a housewife to some fat “Lala” boy chosen by her parents – today she is married to a “Nair” of her choice, is passionate about her career and is earning a decent salary of 25K at Chennai. Not to mention living alone in a totally alien city and culture. The credit goes 100% to her, and as it goes to all the little women (and some men) who write to me once in a while discussing what I have written.

An oft asked question is – would I like to change anything? the simple answer is “NO!” the second most often asked question is “Would I like to add anything?”

Yes – one last one – “Just because your lie was accepted does not mean that it was not caught”

Now that she is married I am wondering should I write “A bridegroom’s brief guide to Marriage”?

No! she wont be needing a guide for herself 🙂

Yesterday was a scary day – but things are not as bad as it looked to begin with.

Today is our 8th marriage anniversary, sometimes it still amazes me that we have lasted so long given our headstrong and highly independent nature but then it mostly concludes to who else? or why not?

Well, it almost didn’t happen 🙂

8 years ago exactly about the same time I had told my shocked father 5 min more and if they don’t turn up we go back home.

We had been standing in front of the marriage registars office since 10:45, Swati with her father and not more than 2 other people was to meet us at 11:00 , She knew that I don’t like people who are late. So while she was pacing her veranda ready to leave, her folks in typical UP style, hmm’ed and haw’ed and ooh’ed and aah’ed over getting ready and blah.

They did turn up in less than 5 min but there were 15 people, Dad had to convince me that it is really OK and almost begged me to please put up with the extra folks… 🙂

Swati was utterly frustrated and at her wits end. The registar thankfully was efficient, perhaps he wanted to rush somewhere, and in less than 3 min we were married.

More about it, perhaps, later in the day.

Today is also Dad’s 2nd death anniversary…

She refused jewelry – the real yellow stuff

Arrrrgh!! does any one know of an *Indian* on-line lingerie store?

I am frustrated since last N years – once again it will be 11th May and I will not be able to get the gift I want.

Over the years I have shopped or rather tried shopping for lingerie in Nagpur, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Vizag.

Apart from the fact that at most cities the sales girls are absolutely idiotic who dont even understand how bra sizes are measured and will burst into fit of giggles when you mention it. These cities just dont have any selection. The standard white, black a few skin coloured rags. If you are lucky you will have some basic Lovable underwireds touted as *premium* stuff.

Except for Mumbai I could not find the entire Lovable range anywhere and yes the sales staff in Mumbai was very very helpful without being un-necessarily squeamish about it. In fact that is where I was educated on how to measure the bra size – nearly 10 years ago. Needless to say that I did not know both the measurements needed!!

Talking of sales staff surprisingly Hyderabad Shoppers Stop was good – but the girl, who was a real lady, told me that there is no demand for the stuff I wanted.

The biggest disappointment for me was Bangalore – I don’t even want to write about it.

Looks like folks have been on a Userpic changing spree

Should I follow?

Nah! Nothing describes me better than my own face – besides the photographer was paid Rs5000/- for that mug shot of me.

Hmmm… … does anyone have R Daneel’s pic?

P.S Swati has an entry of annoyed in her journal – wonder what was it about

The past week has been very hectic, tense and tiring, the coming week is expected to be worse.

So I intend to use the day to just sleep …

Despite everything I managed to complete “Nightfall” by Asimov – Wow! what a story, or more like what a concept – A planet with six suns whose denizens do not know what darkness and night is all about experiencing a total eclipse. Have made a plucker version of the book…

It is already more than 12 hours that I have been working ….

Atleast 2 more to go and I don’t have much to show for it either – one of those days …..