Monsoon discounts and Friendship Day make great friends!

At this time, in the monsoon season, it’s raining discounts in the local markets, malls and even online. And making the most of the sale season are young people buying gifts for their buddies for Friendship Day. While the ‘research’ for these gifts starts days in advance, the discounts are the real icing on the cake and for youngsters short on pocket money, a real godsend.
Meera Ahuja, a first-year English (Hons) DU student, says, "I had something in mind to gift my best buddies on this special day, but the sky-high prices of the items I wanted to give them made me put my plans on hold.However, last week, when I visited the local shops, I found that the monsoon sale was on and the offer would continue till mid-August. I bought for `900 two watches that would otherwise cost me about `2,000, and three pairs of shoes for `800 for my school friends. My budget for the gifts was `3,000 and I have already saved around `1,300 – I’ll use that to buy something for myself too!"
And then there are those shopping for monsoon accessories, from fancy umbrellas to trendy raincoats, to make their buddies monsoon-proof! Sharmila Ghosh, an MBA student, says, "In school, it was easy to just buy a carton of friendship bands and then distribute them amongst your friends. But now, it’s all about showing your creativity too. So this time, I thought, why not something that has a fashion and utility value, both? I bought camouflage print raincoats and also transparent ones, which don’t hide the outfit underneath. Since my gang of girls believes in staying stylish in all seasons, I came up with this idea. And the discounts that I got on these online ensured that I didn’t burn a hole through my pocket."
Twenty four-year-old Anshul Malhotra, a fine arts DU student, he has bought five white t-shirts from Sarojini Nagar for just `100, and has made a collage of pictures from his school years on them. He says, "A few days ago, when I was in Sarojini Nagar for some college work, I paid a visit to the market and was thrilled to see monsoon sales, in which you could buy 5-6 T-shirts for under `100! I purchased five of them and made a collage on those with pictures of my school gang from Classes VI to XII. I hope that my pals like them!" And who would not love wine glasses as gifts, especially if they’re engraved with special Friendship Day messages? Piyali Bhattacharya, a 28-year-old fashion designer from Hauz Khas, says, "Every Sunday, my college friends come over to my place and we have our own jam session. This Sunday, I am planning to surprise them with wine glasses that I have bought for each. I have written personalized messages on the glasses."
Some old-school types, however, maintain that this day is not complete without the traditional Friendship Day band. Monisha Ahuja, a third-year DU student, says, "Though the craze for these bands has subsided, I still wanted to buy them for my friends as they have a nostalgia quotient. I bought 9-10 bands that looked like sleek bracelets. My friends can wear these bands on other days also – they’re just like any other bracelet."