You know what the ONE thing about my job that I absolutely dread? Attending events. Being among the hundreds of people you know from Instagram, having stalked them extensively, can be daunting.
I mean, what do you tell them? “Hey, your dog is outright adorable; that new Zara bag is LIT; or say congratulations to your BFF on her engagement.”
The fear turns into a stammer and what eventually comes out of my mouth is a language that makes baby conversations sound sensible.
And Neethi, an independent illustrator from Bangalore, has magically turned how we all feel (yes, don’t even try to deny the fact that we all are socially awkward at some point or the other) into amazing, sarcastic illustrations that will make you go — “so true!”
Originally from Delhi, Neethi moved to Bangalore, only to fall in love with the city, allowing her surroundings to inspire her in producing creative gems.
Her latest series, called The Socially Awkward Adult takes you through the journey of being awkward in a public space. Right from the moment you decide to step out of home till the time it finally comes to an end.
Scroll down and let Neethi tell the story of our lives through these super relatable illustrations!
The intro is where people will give you tips on how to face a situation, but it doesn’t matter, you’ll be lost anyway. Basically, you have no idea what to do.
You arrive, only to stand in the corner with a soda can in hand, waiting for the night to unfold.
Your heart rate rises to a level that is beyond your control and gradually, as the night progresses, anxiety sets in. Sure, there are familiar faces from social media around but obviously, you don’t want to seem like a stalker/creep, no?
Of course, you spot someone who tries to make small talk. Cue uncomfortable eyelash batting.
And the feet start tapping. And it becomes worse when the only mutual friend you have abandons you to go socialise or gets distracted by the snack platter, and you are left to fend for yourself.
By the time you actually start striking up a conversation, it’s usually the other person who’s just blabbering, while you will make arguments for the nonsense they say in your head, but will actually keep shut. Sigh.
It all ends with you slowly sliding back to the corner while awkwardly glancing at more strangers…and towards the door. The social media stalking begins once again, bringing the evening back a full circle.