my name is...

i'd never known that i had a different or unique name till i left home. till then, there was always one or more namesakes around. it was only later, much later that i took stock of the weird and cliched reactions i garnered when i introduced myself.
here're d top reactions i've got when i told my name to people. and my reactions to their reactions. in orange.
- where's shera? *he committed suicide coz he cudn't deal with cliched statements as this!*
- is that how u spell it? *maybe. maybe not.*
- you must be a muslim. *does that really matter?*
- rayshma brings to mind the image of helen doing a "mehbooba"... a very banjara-dancer name. *wow! thanks! umm... that WAS a compliment, rite?*
- bada exotic name hai. *and aapki language mein exotic is defined as...?!*
- i've a fren called rashmi. *SO???*
- that is what your parents named you or you changed your name? *my parents named me dhanno! i preferred banjara dancer name to that of a ghodi.*
- i'm /we're gonna call you "raysh". *kyon? 'ma' ko bhool gaye?*
- that's a different name. *not really. when i was iin school, each time someone called out my name, at least 3 gurls reverted!*
- initially i thougt it didn't suit you. but well, it does. *OMG! thanks so much! what would i do without your aproval! hmph!*
it's not mandatory to be smart, u know...