Guys and Girls used to constantly orbit around me , because I was the magnet and being associated with me was a symbiotic mutual pleasure myself and my following enjoyed. I hit my early 20s and there was a sudden upsurge in people coming and pinning their projections on me. My young impressionable mind delighted at the prospect of so many options and how ideas came to me unasked from random people. My Close friends used to call me Zeus . "Zeus - Dude , you will make a killer living being a Model.... Zeus , what are you still doing here ? Z-Dawg , You celluloid material Broda ! "....No one prepped me as to how I can build myself. It is not like , I take a walk outside and suddenly there is a Cloud burst of fortunes on me. I am not a flagship product that can be an instant success , without proper stratagem.
I took some baby steps - Social media caught up with me. I posted a photo in timed intervals, secretly read the profiles and methods of other influencers and my crowd grew by 20 people every day. Imagine 600 new fans in a month. The trend continued, as I experimented different flavors of Online Fan Baiting. Of course I hit the Gym and even a shadow of my evolving body caused lusty sweats in my clout. I stopped feeling real excitement or happiness after a while , as the dose of thrill and ego boost was so predictable. It's effect was not as exhilarating as it was before but I ignored this . Who would worry about emotions when I got this much attention ?
Photoshoots and Random video titbits, were an everyday meal. One day, I posed in short grey trunks and the lighting and shadow effect unexpectedly boosted a certain part of my body ( IYWIM ) and my endorsements went berserk. Follow requests tripled and I started getting raunchy requests and most illogical offers to go mainstream. Man, Life was good. All this aside, I still didn't lose focus of the fact that I am a complete outsider to Media or the Modelling Business. We see so many good looking folks at the most random contexts, not everyone wants to be at the receiving end of the shutter. So, I pursued Aeronautical engineering and kept my physique in its prime form. I soon did some courses for Public relations , worked on my accents and slowly built my own USP. You know the drill, highlighted my unique features and mannerisms that worked most effectively on people.
I entered the Flight Business. Not as a Pilot, but as a ( Male )Air Host. I was a charming piece of eye candy. Passengers used to eat me through their eyes and my fellow flight attendants used to tease me in most quirky ways. Like, for example, often the ladies with all their crimson lipsticks and tightly organized tresses, used to come close to me and whisper nonsense and every time I fell for this, thinking a certain passenger needed something or there as a shortage of some product. We have our code language to manage such situations and my naive mind used to think something serious when 90% of the times these chicks will come so close to me and simply murmur - Safe Flight, Good weather, Nice crowd etc
It was so dope ! I met new people , made new memories , had innumerable close encounters of different dimensions and I was of so far off any traditions or strong sentiments. I lived in the moment with my head high like a dog through a window. I got tagged with an international airlines and they used me for a variety of Physical Roles. Security checking, Complaint management, Customer Engagement etc. Who would complain if a sexy man spent a few minutes with you in the airport and gave you that attention. I was literally like the Airline's Victoria Model. Soon the luxuries grew on me , engulfed me with so much comfort, so stealthily like a snake. Parties , Girls, Occasional flings, Booze and Binging on food and habits. I was so spoilt and developed a nice ring to my personality. Thanks to my different interactions with new people for different reasons. And one day , the Airlines Manager said, I have to go serve as a Flight Attendant for a few months as the in-flight crew lost some of their eye candies.
I opened my wardrobe to pick up old uniforms when Disaster slapped the Ego out of me into oblivion. Thanks to the different Attires and overcoats I had been wearing, the lifestyle upgrade and a total blind spot to my fitness , I had gained 7 inches in my waist . I suddenly couldn't handle the shock about my weight gain. It's so tough when your looks are so dominant, the attention never ceases to forsake you, you don't specifically notice your changing body shape. I stood naked in front of the mirror mortified as none of my previous uniforms fit me. Being an air host is different game. Passengers look at every part of your body, they have access to every inch of your physical self due to the space constriction and it's on us to make sure we look sharp. I swiped my card frantically to order some new uniforms and it was my sheer luck that the Airlines wasn't too finnicky about sizes, as long as what met the eye was pleasant.
I revised my In-flight instructions , protocols and codes and educated myself. But I totally forgot to prep my Ego which was about to be badly bruised . Optimistically, I boarded the flight, only to see the excitement drain from passengers boarding the flight . They awaited the sight of a petite Attractive Barbie, but there I was. With my flossed teeth , trimmed beard and hairy chest - a handsome matured Male Air Host. You will feel so disgusted about how people forget to hide their emotions / judgements on another person. The utter dismay was written all over their faces , as I was neither a fit Young Man with Abs, nor a sexy woman. I used to cringe every now and then, as my warm Welcome smile would be met with a nonchalant nod. You have no idea, how often back then I had to remind every incoming passenger to "keep moving" as they used to gaze at me and get lost for a second. Reality shat on me royally as I bit my teeth and realized how careless I had been. I was humbled to the bones on how sleazy Life can be.
I served my 6 months of Flight Attendant Role and went back to other responsibilities , which required both my charm and my brain, thanks to a decade long experience in the Airline Business. This time, I made sure to keep my eyes peeled and pause every moment before I moved a muscle.
Weight Gain is no joke folks. If you find yourself being body shamed, in a way thank your stars. Because, sometimes you will never find out otherwise before its too late. Watch what you put in your mouth. Holiday season or not, special occasions or not, tame your excuses. Regulate your oral pleasures ( pun intended ) . Even if your lifestyle expects a certain pattern , be stubborn in self care and grab some steady , everyday routine that keeps you healthy. Vanity or not, no one likes being fat or being with a fat person. I am not being unempathetic or immoral here. Unless , it's because of a genuine physical condition you suffer from obesity , there is no allowed excuse for you to not be wary of your weight. It's always a result of bad choices in your food, drinks or fleeting pleasures. Take Adamant Good Care of yourself.
Remember, the world doesn't always follow you. You are the sole traveler in your journey of life. You deserve to be healthy. This is an awareness post, written with my trademark cinematic narration, only to soften the blow. I made you travel with me , to vicariously enjoy Life through Zunaid's golden days but had to pause and pinch you on the exact objective I began writing this post.
