Sometimes one just needs a manicure and a pedicure to pep one’s self up and feel good. The whole week takes its toll. Walking to college and back through large crowds. Trying to get past crazy traffic on the small stretch of main road, that I am forced to negotiate. Past the horrid cops who are just waiting to catch the kids coming into college.

The mochi at the corner has a large crowd of clients already. Someone’s bag strap has broken off and needs repair. The strap of the college girl’s sandal which comes apart as she steps off the bus awkwardly. He also has very enterprisingly, a ‘puncher’ shop on the side.

Then to negotiate through the crowd to class. A huge crowd of students has gathered around the steps leading into the class - rooms to meet the MLA who is sanctioning the walk way over the road, which will help us cross from one campus to the next. At the moment we have near death experiences, trying to cross the road from the UG block to the PG block and vice versa. That really terrifies me everyday that I go to work.

I feel disheartened when I see a massive and mature tree being cut down in one of the compounds I pass. I whip out my phone and promise to send it to the Forest Dept to stop. A big beautiful tree, mauled to a fraction of what it was. I feel energy drain out of me when I see the electric saws chopping the massive trunk like butter. It is well against the wall, I think to myself, why do they need to cut it down even if they are planning apartments.

I finish three classes in college. Three classes of standing the delivering lectures to large classes of 60 plus students. Only the PG block has small groups of 10 and 12 kids. It’s my fault, I ask for classes with no break. So by the end of 3 classes, I have reached the nadir of exhaustion.

And to add to the exhaustion I come home to the idiotic dogs of one of the residents, jumping across the entrance of the basement, while an SUV is trying to negotiate the difficult and steep entrance. My irritation levels at their ignorance boils over.

So when I need that pep, I collect my bag, put on my slippers and go to the salon up the road. Chen’s has been there since we were kids. I just go into the little salon which is not much but they are clean. I can see them pour the water into the basin for me straight from the tap and they use clean implements.

Then I just sit back and enjoy a pedi and a mani for the next one hour. The smiling Nepali women who are used to me, welcome me in. Scraping, polishing, soaking, clipping and massaging, getting rid off all my stress in the head and a feeling of calm washes over my mind. Nothing like a manicure and a pedicure to relax and forget the irritations of daily life.