Me, my State, my neighboring state and Show Off

When will we ever learn. In North West India. A Punjabi by roots (and proud of it) I have written subtly about the ingrained need in many of us to some how bring up the issue of wealth or possessions or status, it could be rudely or straightforward or indirectly but say it we must. This quality I find in our brotherly state of Haryana too.
Today a friend of over twenty five years came to meet us. He is settled in Canada and we chatted away on children and the antics.of a.certain section of migrants there. Around  830 pm a couple of his friends came to pick him up. Our goodbyes took some time. We went out to see him off and got introduced to them. I remembered we had met briefly once and said cordially you could have just.walked in. I meant it. So did.the wife as she said the same.
The lady responded " actually this is not our actual car, this we will dispose off, our actual car is a sedan parked.at our old house while we have moved to a new larger house".  I saw a.perfectly ok condition largish hatchback (the Swift) and wondered.what was the connection between what we requested so sincerely and the response.
I recall many years ago I had to attend a function of the Chandigarh Management Association at Panchkula. My daughter asked.me to collect a book she had let a friend borrow. Her friend's father, a fairly well to do industrialist, stayed at Panchkula and was also attending the function. To cut it short, I found the guy after multiple calls (it was.a happy happy get together) and we walked out to his car. It was a small hatchback~ the Santro. The guy said it's not my car, even our daughter does not drive it really, I don't know why I keep it, I have a Beemer and.a.Merc, this was just the last car parked in my driveway etc. I just smiled, told him it made no impact on me as to what he drove and tried to take the book and flee. But the guy was.feeling so small, I just heard him out a bit more and drove off.
I mean just what is this mysterious gene we have. A leading school, named after an exotic fruit in Chandigarh has designer hand bags on dainty manicured hands  and the more expensive sedans being driven out to drop and pick up the children. The bags are so carried that the label, even if discreetly affixed, is visible.  What I hear from trusted gossip circles is at times even the branded handbag is on EMIs. And the car goes straight to the garage only straight after the morning and noon trip.
Now designation.Some days back I was with some acquaintances and was introduced to a gentleman with a very very stiff neck, a pronounced puffed up face and.it seemed.an inability to smile. I observed he could only nod on being introduced, so I ignored him. That seemed.to.make him really uncomfortable, so I continued to pretend I was unaware about his prsence and his squirming away. Then someone said, Sir was from the State Civil Service and now promoted to the only Exalted Service of our nation. Now I understood the symptoms and problems, all he wanted was the mandatory homage. That not being forthcoming had led to the poor guy having so many breathing problems!! Or wait till you meet a leading cardiologist who can just keep smiling, God forbid you don't exclaim on being introduced as the smile just.vanishes.
And so it continues across all social and economic classes across my beloved.region. it's inherent in us. It keeps the FMCG guys really  happy though. And property dealers. And.automobile dealers. Maybe bankers too. But then that's us.