“Whoa! This place is huge. Can’t believe this three-storey building sells a single product.”

Instead of wasting the rest of the afternoon in my room, pondering, I decided to go to a nearby camera shop. It was the largest camera shop in the entire Kolkata. It had everything from cameras to lenses to accessories. Although, I was in no condition to buy anything, a little window-shopping does not hurt, does it?

“So, the ground floor is accessories, first floor cameras and second floor lenses. I might start with the camera section first,” I decided while reading the information board pasted outside.

Window shopping is not just about taking a look at the items displayed without actually buying anything. It’s also about gathering as much information as possible to make an informed decision. As I entered the building, I was greeted with a mob of people inside, some bargaining, some looking at the shelves, and some just like me, window shopping. The variety of sounds inside, people’s murmurs, soft music playing through the speakers in the ceiling, card machines beeping, drawers and shelves being opened, were all interfering with each other, forming a loud, continuous noise. 

“Nothing better than a Sunday business, huh?”

Good that there was a lift on all the floors.

“Okay, so, first floor,” I said to myself as I exited the lift.

Now the main task was to decide where to start. All four walls of this floor were covered with cameras. There were multiple shelves stacked one after the other with cameras of all shapes and sizes placed in the racks. It was like a large library, but instead of books, there were cameras. From cameras as small as 5 centimetres that will fit in the pocket, to cameras as large as over 5 feet. The large one was the one used for shooting professional films. Each one had a sticker with its price and specs noted down. Most of the cameras had an attached lens, I guess they sell it in a combo. I was curious about the price of the big film camera.

“14 Lakhs, huh?” At this point, I was not surprised anymore. A Camera is an expensive equipment after all.

I tried roaming around a bit along the racks.

“2 Lakhs, 2.5 Lakhs, 1.3 Lakhs, 4 Lakhs, 70 Thousand, 65 Thousand, 8 Lakhs. Man, on what basis are they arranged here? This is really confusing for me.” I wondered while reading the labels beside each model.

All I was able to grasp were the prices. ISO? Shutter speed? Mirrorless? What the hell are those? The only thing I know is megapixels, that too because it’s the same with mobile phone cameras, but what is with these numbers? What am I even buying? Chhaya should have been more specific with the camera requirements. This is not helping me at all. Oh, yeah, wait, she said something about a wide-angle lens. Let’s go to the second floor then.

The second floor had a similar layout. Shelves, racks, posters, but instead of cameras, it’s all lenses here. A lens is a long, tube-like attachment on the front part of the camera. It has transparent lenses inside that help focus the image on the camera’s sensor. The wider the lens, the more focusing power it has. Basic physics.

“Wide-angle, Wide-angle, Wide-angle, Wide-angle,” I murmured while reading the labels on the shelves one by one, searching for a wide-angle lens. 

“Okay, this is a wide-angle one. No wait, this entire shelf is for wide-angles only!”

“2 Lakh, 1800 ISO, f/32, 120mm,” what’s up with these numbers everywhere, argh!

Should I ask the staff? No, I am not buying anything. What might they feel about me? Idea discarded. Let me search on my phone for these numbers.

“So ISO is the sensitivity of the camera lens, f-number is the aperture, and 12mm is the lens’s focal length,” I wondered after reading an article on the web. But what is my requirement?

“Budget wide-angle lens for astrophotography,” I typed on my mobile screen next.

“I see, so I need to search for this brand and model with a 50mm lens.”

I began walking towards the poster near the lift entrance, which had a detailed map of all the shelves. 

“So it’s in Shelf 2, Row 12. Okay. Shelf 2, Row 12. Shelf 2, Row 12. Shelf 2, Row 12. Ah, here it is. So this is the budget lens recommended on the internet. 20 Thousand! What kind of person has a budget that high?!”

I feel doomed, lost in despair.

“I should go for a camera and lens combo. That must be cheaper.”

I went back to the first floor to check on the combo cameras offered there. Unexpectedly, they were priced quite high. The cheapest one with a 50mm lens I could find was priced at 40 thousand.

“I see. I am really doomed, ain’t I?”

Let’s think about what might happen if I went to Chhaya without a camera. One, she happily gives me her camera as a gift. No! I cannot accept such an expensive gift from a person I just met yesterday. That was really selfish of me. Okay, so, two, she gives me more time to get a camera. Not happening. Three, she gives me that angry look and dumps me. Why does this seem to be the most possible outcome? Four, she pushes me off the roof. Yes, totally a possibility. Five, she brings out a gun from her bag and shoots at me. Scary!

“Hey now,” as I was flowing in the river of my thoughts, a voice whispered in my ear.

“Wh-who, just now?” I said before turning around to see this person.

“Oh, boy, I am so busy in the afternoon watching my anime. Ah, why do 2D girls look so much better than 3D girls? This is totally unfair. A handsome hunk like me must totally get all the girls. Girls these days are blind or what? Imma stick to my 2D waifus. Oh, I need to fap one more time.”

“Stop it! I never said those. Stop imagining stuff on your own. And why the hell are you even here? You were following me, weren’t you?”

“Hey now, this was totally what you said to me. Every word of it. Calling me a liar. How unfair. Just so that I happened to not record our conversation does not mean you can claim it to be whatever you want it to be. And about me following you? You must be the one imagining stuff, some wild stuff. To call me a liar, then simultaneously a stalker, this is against my rights, it is totally unforgivable. I must be redeemed.”

This girl, Ishika. Just what beef does she have with me? Meeting her twice in a single day. This must be the unluckiest day of my life.

“Come to think of it, what is a peasant like you even doing in a camera shop? Don’t tell me you mistakenly came here instead of an optician to buy new eyelenses? How foolish,” she said while trying to hold her laughter.

“It has nothing to do with you! And don’t answer your questions yourself, it feels weird,” I replied in a raised voice.

“Hey now, can’t you see this is a public place. Keep your voice at bay.”

This witch.

“Listen, I am here looking for a camera with a wide-angle lens and a tripod. Yes, you heard that right. In case you didn’t, let me repeat myself. I am here looking for a camera with a wide-angle lens and a tripod. Got that?”

“Hey now, no need to be so infuriated. I was just trying to help you. You see, this place, this entire building, is owned by my dad. He recently invested in the retail business. As you can see, it is paying off quite well. I just so happened to come here to drop something from my dad to the store manager, as it was on my way back from my classes.”

“Yeah, and you were quite helpful. Now, please just go and leave me alone for a moment.”

“Not happening.”

“You, asshole!”

“Hey now! Remember what I said this morning? Don’t make me repeat myself twice, Mr. India,” she said while leaning forward and shaking her index finger at me.

“ARGH, would you ever stop bullying me?”

“Not happening.”

“Just what is it you want?!”

“Love.”

“Excuse me?!”

“Nothing.”

Did she just blurt out something from her mind? Either way, this brat is wasting a lot of my time. It will be evening soon. I need to send her away and find a solution to this camera problem.

“Hey, what was it that you were looking for, you said?”

“Huh? A camera with a wide-angle lens and a tripod,” didn’t I repeat that twice already? Does she pay no attention to what I say?

“Darshani!” she screamed near the staff section. Must be a staff name. Is she reporting me?

“Yes, little ma’am. How may I help you today?” A lady wearing the staff uniform came closer to us and responded with a bow.

“A tripod with a wide-angle lens and a camera. The best ones we have. Quick!”

“Yes, ma’am. Please move on to the reception downstairs, your order will be forwarded there.”

She messed up the order, but I guess it’s still understandable. Wait, why is she buying these? For me? Don’t be ridiculous.

“Hey, why are you buying them?”

“You can’t tell? For you,” she responded while walking towards the lift. I tried following her.

“I never asked for a charity,” I said in a raised tone. She stood still for a moment before turning back for once, her eyes wide and fixated on me.

“Huh? It’s not for free. You think I will give them away for free. Give me a break. What are you, an idiot? Oh, but you are one. I am the daughter of a great entrepreneur. Business runs in my veins. For every give, there is a take, and for every take, there is a give. What do you have to offer me in return? Oh, your body and your soul,” she said with a smirk and held her hands out to me like she was inviting me to hell with her. It felt like I dealt with a devil just now.

THE FUCK IS WITH HER PERSONALITY!!