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| The grandeur of Sarkari Delhi : View From Rajpath |
I thought I was lucky to find a
parking spot outside the small supermarket in my sector. Well, at least
something was going right on that hot and humid Saturday morning. After about
30 minutes , I happily finished my
shopping and came out of the store only
to find a rather well-used car parked
outside the parking slot , blocking my
car . I was irritated but thought that may be the driver will be somewhere nearby.
But no, the car was locked and there was no sign of the driver. I went inside
the store and got the car number announced- several times. Finally after 15
long minutes, a 40 something gentleman wearing half pants and chappals ( Thinking
he looks cool) emerged out of the store . When he saw he has actually blocked car of a
woman driver, he seemed rather pleased at his doing .( For those of you who
don’t know, many such alpha males of Delhi think that women drivers are some inferior
species and can always be blamed for any mistake . These macho males kind of
own the road, parking and well, the city) In his Haryanvi accent English ( And yes, he
has to converse in English) , he started yelling at me for making him hurry up
with his shopping. When I pointed that his car was parked incorrectly, he
shouted (again in English) “So what? I too have suffered many times and listen,
if you start arguing , I will not take the car out.” At this stage a security
guard intervened and asked him to take
his car out. Guess what ! Our hero shouted back at the guard (this time in Hindi
) “ Beech mein mat bol Saale . Mujhe pata hai kya karna hai.” Finally
after creating a scene and telling all gathered his tale of
parking woes , he removed his car and allowed me to take out my
legally parked car . I won’t be surprised if he was expecting a “Thank you .So
very kind of you” from me. This, and
many such incidents in last 6 years, make me feel happy that it is time to say
goodbye to Delhi.
Six years is a long time to know a
city …to fall in love with it …to start hating it…for getting used to it. I came to
Delhi full of apprehensions. Most of which turn out to be true. My discomfort with Delhi- way of living never went away and despite its many comforts
and advantages , Delhi remain an odd city for me. In fact after living here I
realized that it is no more one city. It is a strange amalgamation of many cities, kasbahs and villages . Perfectly cosmopolitan in some parts and
equally rural and crude in most others- sometimes it looks like a city full of old-world character and at others totally
bereft of it . In fact there were times
when I wondered where is the Delhi about which Meer had said –
कूचे न थे देहली के अवराक़े मुसव्विर थे
जो शक्ल नज़र आई तस्वीर नज़र आई।
( Delhi’s streets were not alleys
but parchment of a painting, Every face that appeared seemed like a
masterpiece).
All I found was people bloated with
ego, intoxicated in money and muscle power and streets full of problems for
common citizens. And yet, I survived. I think one big reason why I survived the
city and its people, is that I stayed outside its typical circles-
stubbornly unsocial and aloof . I
interacted with people at work and outside only on need-to-interact basis and
made very few friends here. In fact, now that I count, most of my friends,
including those whom I met in Delhi were not Dilliwallahs, at least not the typical ones.
However, I would be missing the
purpose of this post, if I fail to recount that in last six year s, there were
also many many moments when I was glad to be here. I got some fantastic work assignments here,
met some extraordinary people outside work and participated in some wonderful
activities. I also saw some extraordinary things happening in front of my eyes-
the civil protest at India Gate, the breaking of scams and its aftermath, the
ugly scenes of unashamed arrogant power , wealth and corruption and the
impressive struggle of few people who
wanted to change the system.
But the thing about memories is that they
never get the ‘big picture’ . They are very subjective, personal …almost
irrational . They do not honour the perceived importance of events and people
in any particular way. I wonder what I
will remember of this Delhi tenure 10 years from now ? Here is the tentative list of memories I can
think of right now:
·
I will think of Delhi trees of different seasons. I will miss
gawking from the car window and admiring the trees, specially in Lutyens’ Delhi .
How just before Diwali , Saptaparni blooms
with its exotic fragrance and how the spring is announced with numerous Semal
trees lining the Delhi streets . Even in the summer months, the bright happy yellow Amaltas and red Gulmohar trees made my heart dance with
joy. Even tedious office work was somewhat bearable
after sighting these on my way . 
·
I will remember my favorite hideouts – National Gallery of
Modern Arts and National Museum . They
may not be in the best of conditions but still, they are an unparallel treasure
trove. I wish I get to see them many more times . The
memory of plays watched at National School of Drama will stay with me for long
. I was mesmerized to meet Banbhatta on NSD stage (in Banbhatta Ki AtmaKatha )
and learnt so much about theatre from Indian and foreign plays performed here .
·
I think I will think about the names of the streets and my (mostly
failed) attempts to remember them. The strange landmarks of places which I
built in my mind- the lone statue of Alexander Pushkin outside Sahitya Academy
Building or the magnificent statue of Gandhiji outside Parliament house .
·
I will also miss my visits to well known, less known and
not-known-at-all monuments of Delhi. I thank my stars that I got to see these
fascinating places as part of my job. While it fills me with rage that Red fort
is in such pathetic condition, thank God, we also have Humayun’s tomb – just
restored to its glory. The turquoise blue glazed tiles of this Mughal tomb
filled my heart with such bliss when I first saw them after restoration.
Whatever reservations I have bout Dilliwalahs , the fact is that
it was only with the kindness and generosity of many ordinary Dilliwallahs at
my workplace that I survived. Ajay- my loyal man Friday, who successfully found solutions to all my
big-small problems with amazing efficiency; Ashish and Sanjeev, my drivers, who
somehow found ways in the lanes of Delhi for their direction challenged madam
going in search of one German Bakery and one unknown grave – God, I am definitely going to miss them . The colleagues I worked with and bosses
who tolerated me, many of whom I hope to cross ways again, floored me with
their kindness .
There are still so many things, sights,
places and people to remember……..
driving to Italian Embassy for the Italian course relishing the sights of
diplomatic Delhi , shopping in Connaught Place, the India Gate circle , the official meetings at numerous stately
buildings of Government of India and
yes, the white pigeon who regularly visited my office window ( mostly to
eat the daana left by Ajay) . Well, to
quote Meer once again, I have to agree :
दिल व दिल्ली दोनो अगर है खराब;
पा कुछ लुत्फ उस
उजड़े घर में भी हैं!
(Both heart and Delhi may have been worn out,
But some little pleasures still remain in this ruined house).
But in the end, I am glad it is time
to say goodbye to this mad mad city . I know life might bring me back in these
corridors, but as of now, I go out of Delhi with a relieved look of sanity on
my face. Just can’t wait to find the new chapter of life unfolding at yet
another fascinating and awe-inspiring city- Mumbai . The adventure of life ,
after all, exists in those spaces between the known and the expected- in the
unexpected and the unknown.
You made me miss Delhi after reading all your well and beautifully written, sis Atoorva. I guess I may feel the same when I have to leave Adelaide in the end of this year. Really, I love it..!^^
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