Confessions of a Voyeur

Almost an eternity ago, I was a teenager in Madras(Chennai) facing the problems all teenagers have. One day as I sat in class unable to comprehend what was being taught,(I don't think I put in the effort) a buddy nudged me and pointed in the direction of the window. The school building overlooked a filthy canal with slums on either side.

Something always interesting was happening there. Each day in the life of these people was a party, minus the food. They laughed, fought and celebrated at the drop of a hat. Infact, a death in the slum was actually a cause for celebration. They danced and whistled around the body as it was carried to the cremation ground. It was always better to watch these people's lives than listen to the lesson. Their lives were kinda' like the reality shows of today.

I digress. Actually as I looked out all I saw was a tree. My friend, however asked me to keep looking. First I saw an arm, a leg and then... Some woman was having a bath right behind that tree. We laughed and showed the rest of the guys our great find. We were the coolest of guys for that day. Looking back, I feel neither remose nor shame. It was fun then, probably a mix of teenage harmones and peer pressure made us look out and enjoy the sight. Those peeping Tom days were behind me.

Or so I imagined. A few years ago I worked in a company where our cubes overlooked a dentist's office. As we were older boys now, we had bigger toys. One of my coleagues got a nice pair of binoculars. Who would have thought watching some guy or gal suffering a root canal was so much fun! I guess I like the act of Voyeurism is very underestimated. It feeds our lust, sense of adventure,and a lot more.