I walked into a shoe store last week and saw some absolutely gorgeous pairs of shoes that had just arrived. From Italy, said the salesgirl. Who cares, I thought, as long as they looked great and the price was right.

As it turned out, the shoes were reasonably priced for what they were - Rs 1,475.

I decided to postpone my shopping. I went back to the store exactly a week later. The same shoes are now sold for Rs 1,975. I remarked upon the sudden increase in price and the shop owner told me that "everything" was more expensive nowadays. I couldn?t agree more, I said, except that it seemed a bit weird that a week before, those same shoes cost Rs 500 less than now. ?There are not the same ones?, she replied. ?These are from a new batch.? Yeah right.

I didn?t bother with the shoes.

Lunchtime, I thought; Let?s eat a dholl puri. Rs 10 says the dholl puri seller. How come, asks the new stingy me. ?Flour?s gone up,? replies the man dismissively. By how much, I ask. No reply. Does a rise of Rs 2 on the price of a pound of flour justify a Rs 2 rise on the price of a dholl puri, I ask again. The man, unused to such impertinence from paying customers, dismisses my questions and me and turned to serve the next person queuing to be ripped off.

No shoes and no lunch for me today then.I guess I am lucky despite the attempt of these horrible people to rip me off; I was left with the choice to say no and walk off, unhurt. And while I did just that, I didn?t encounter any thieves, rapists, bouncers on the loose or thugs while I was walking the streets of the city.

Nevertheless, my antennas were up as I walked on in case somebody pounced on me; I knew I couldn?t count on the police to protect the streets ? and themselves for that matter, let alone me. Yes, I am becoming more and more paranoid. Can you blame me?

The Commissioner of police himself admits to being helpless in the face of such insecurity; poor man meets up with nightclub owners and says almost as if he was commenting on the weather, that bouncers are taking the law into their own hands.

Really, Mr Gopalsing? And what are you going to do about it? Oh, I know, he will be without mercy.

Pardon my scepticism. Even the thugs are laughing. Especially those who call themselves the ?voice? of ?Hindu? and seem to be under the illusion that they have been appointed to administer law and order in Quatre Bornes.

What?s the link between my foregone shoes, dholl puri, thugs and Mr Gopalsing?s police, you?re wondering?

Disorder. Chaos. Everybody does as he pleases. No one cares. No law is respected, no rule is enforced and nothing is sacred. That?s the link.

I?d cry if I didn?t fear the onslaught of a migraine.