I think, the latest indicator to be a person of some importance, is to be all over the newspapers these days.

In D-Company

I think, the latest indicator to be a person of some importance, is to be all over the newspapers these days.u00a0 No, it is not to be invited to one of those global summits of endless debates. It is not even sailing through the gates of a coveted Page 3 party where the standard greeting line goes: 'Oooooh, you are looking lovely.' As a matter of fact, it is not even becoming impossibly anorexically thin, never mind, the fainting spells and blackouts one undergoes to become that way.

The latest on the social barometer, the one thing that tells you have arrived like nothing else, is getting a death threat from somebody. Preferably from what is rather intriguingly and sinisterly called the 'D-Company.'
The latest on the social barometer, the one thing that tells you have arrived like nothing else, is getting a death threat from somebody

For those who do not know, Mr D himself, stands for the Don Dawood Ibrahim. He is, according to hotly contested reports, sitting cozy in Karachi. Periodically threats emanate from the D-Company to presumably those who matter (read the ones with the big moolah) over here.

No dahling, you cannot be threatened by some chotta, mota, kota, batlya or kutta or whatever these gangsters like to call themselves. Frankly, I never understand why they are called such names. Are they alibis? Or are they more threatening than real names? Or do they describe the anatomy of these gangsters? I guess, it is a combination of all three. Which brings me back to the point, that to be threatened by any of these, doesn't put you in the same bracket as being issued a death threat (via phone or SMS) from the D-Company.

It would also be horrendously tacky to reveal to people that you have received a death threat. Instead, a close friend or an aide should leak out the information. You must be seen at some social dos with your own AK-47-toting security. Preferably you could whisper something like: "You know the kind of pressure I am under these days. In fact, I have been doing some yoga to help me deal with all this stress, it helps to get the chakras in order, to wide-eyed companions as they clink cocktail glasses at a social do.

Yet, one has to admit that threats fromu00a0 the D-Company do not emanate easily. So, what else can one do to make one count on the social barometer? Own 0.00001 per cent stake in an Indian Premier League team, perhaps.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels