Are we Turning into Obsessive Cuckoos?

Is it my imagination or is compulsive behaviour indeed on the rise? 

Perhaps there is available today, the vocabulary to express and describe these uncomfortable tendencies.

Perhaps modern minds are racing so fast that they trip up often. 

Perhaps there is less time for ordinary courtesies. 

Perhaps our poor souls are overly stimulated with TV panellists screaming at us, rude drivers honking at us and sweating compatriots cutting queues around us. 

It builds up, a slow rage at scary news of the water crisis in Chennai, of the Indian Air Force transport plane disappearing into thin air, the horrifying misogyny of Kabir’s character, the pressure cooker whistle sits and strains on top of your heated head. Now you find yourself having to soothe the self. 

So what do you do? 

You start counting the keys and pens and spoons in your drawers. You empty your cupboards and rearrange your personal belongings in a maniacal order. 

You fly off the handle if you see a family member put their mouth to the water bottle. The bathroom floor has to be scrubbed, swabbed and dried before you deign to step in for a bath. You will not be caught sharing a bath towel, god forbid; you have one for every part of your anatomy as a matter of fact. 

You go so far as to choose to use only blue colored towels moreover. In cafes and restaurants, you have a penchant for holding your cup with the left hand and drinking off the rim not likely to have been used by the majority.

Even at home, you don’t allow the handle of the bathroom door to come in direct contact with your hand; you use a hand towel or a duster between. Unknown to yourself, you may be repeating yourself during stressful family events such as departure for a group outing. It is possible that you have been hoarding tons and tons of memorabilia, reluctant to part with memories of loved ones. You are slowly going cuckoo in other words! 

Watch it; these obsessive compulsions can interfere with regular life. There is one habit that most Indian women are proud to admit however, the obsession with hygiene and cleanliness. 

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