The Delhi Times - Part I

Winters make me nostalgic and remind me of my days in Delhi. I loved the winters in Delhi. Chilling cold and good enough to make you forget the gory summers plus an opportunity to smartly adorn jackets, pullovers and oh yes! Gorging tandoori chicken with shots of “Rums-Up” (that is rum & Thums Up)!
There are numerous incidents, instances and experiences which makes those moments truly some of the “best days of my life”.
I landed in the New Dlehi Railway Station one hot June afternoon. Getting down from the Rajdhani Express, the heat seemed to rip me and my senses off for at least some time. The train was on time and I spotted Ron & Rupa Pehi waiting for me. This was however now my first time, it was the second.
The first visit to this capital city was four months earlier in the month of February to clear my psychometric tests, group discussions and one grueling round of interview to get myself admitted into Delhi School of Communication for my PG studies. It was a two day visit and I didn’t have much time in hand. All I did was visit PVR in Saket and watched Air Force 1 with another cousin of mine Viki and his friend, both of whom were doing their MBAs from MDI Gurgaon.
But things would be different this time. My stay would not be mere 2 days. It would be counted in years and I knew I had to make the best use of it.

The year was 1998. I had just completed my B.com and awaited results. But I had cleared my MAT even before appearing for my B.com finals for I didn’t wanted to waste time thinking hard what to do next. Advertising was my call and DSC was the institute I knew I could not go wrong in choosing.
I was feeling quite at home because I was camping with my cousins for a few days in GK Enclave1, until my Preeti my would be room mate (someone I’d known since my Gauhati Commerce College days, senior to me by two years with a big crush on Niki- another Guwahati Cousin) arrived from her vacation. Preeti was doing her MBA from EMPI Business School and stayed in a PG accommodation in the K block of South Extention II.
She called me once she was back i.e about two days after I had arrived. I hadn’t seen much of Delhi, but just passed by the Ring Road every morning when Ron & I went to drop Ron’s sister Paro to IP College I kept my own landmarks – just in case I found myself lost!
I moved into K2, NDSEII and lucky enough I was just a walking distance from my institute if I took the short cut through Masjid Moth. And the swanky shops and malls in the either side of the Ring Road – NDSEI & NDSE II would keep me quite occupied I pacified myself. Preeti and I shared a room with another girl called Juhi who was a Gujrati and an architect. But I hardly got to see her much as our timings were set in such a way that when she was in the room I was attending my classes and when I was indoors she was out on her assignments!
The next room had two more girls – their names I cannot recall now but they were good. And very soon this place became my home. We shared all our day’s experiences, we laughed, bullied each other, came to each other’s rescue when any one of the girls exceeded the “curfew” time!
There was one more lesson to be learnt though. I realized that spending time with friends’ everyday for a few hours and staying with the same friends together were quite different! I am not complaining.
My stay in K2 NDSEII lasted for about three months. I knew I had to move out when one fine day I found the unimaginable – there was a scratchy feeling in my head and to my utter horror i realized that the ugly little devils also known as “lice” had built their nest on my mane and when I took up this issue others seemed okay with it! For them it was something very mundane. And for you it might seem a bit over the top but I decided to pack my bags and move out!

In Retrospective

All the newspapers and regional news channel had some space reserved to highlight the bits and pieces for the forthcoming one-day series between India-Pak to be held on 5th Nov here in Guwahati.
It was a pity to see and hear that cricket buffs queued from the previous night to grab a ticket in the Latasil playground! Snapshots showed police using the cane to control the “mob-like” crowd and much later the ones who failed to managed to procure a ticket “gheraoed” the premises of UCO Bank blaming the bank personnel for mismanagement. So much for a game!
I am not a cricket buff, not even a dot in me has any inkling towards the game.
But all these news and frenzy reminds me of the day I watched my first and last (as I am not much inclined towards it) cricket match in the Nehru Stadium.
Times were different, I was young and the only constant remaining that even then and as of now I don’t understand much about the game!
My father was a great sports buff – cricket, swimming, tennis or even fishing. He was just game for anything “sporty”.
I accompanied him on that fine morning.
The year was 1985 or 1986, and I must have been in class four or five. I don’t even remember with whom India was pitted against. Maybe Australia. I clearly remember the Indian team was there because I got a very clear sight of Ravi Shastri. He was the nation’s heart throb at that time. So even before the match begun I had my dose of cricket; seeing the “Indain Idol” as we walked down towards the stadium and the bus which carried the players had just passed us by.
We woke up early – early by my standards and by 5.30 we were ready to head towards the stadium, we decided to walk as taking the car wasn’t practical. And the stadium wasn’t that far also.
Unlike now when let alone mobile phones, you are not supposed to carry a bottle of water, Aita & Maa had packed lunch for us – boiled eggs neatly coated with a batter of “maida?” (am not sure now) and fried, sandwiches, cakes and in the other basket were oranges, apples, bananas and also two flasks – one with water and the other with tea!
As we sat down to watch and the match got going, my father took out his pocket transistor and this tiny little devise (the size was just same to the Oxford Pocket Dictionary) was constantly glued to his ears. According to him it was getting best of both the worlds!
I don’t know whether the home team won or lost but by the time we returned home I was dog tired. Aita & Maa had a disappointed look on their faces. The two ladies watched the entire match without understanding a word of it. They were disappointed because they could not locate us in the TV! My father before venturing out of the house had casually told both the ladies that they better keep watching TV “in case” they saw us in TV live!!!
Those were the good old days…
After cricket I need to discuss something which pleases my senses more.
Side by side the cricket hype and glory, there was this small paragraph in the bottom of the Telegraph – page 4 or 6. The head lines said Scorpions to rock Shillong!
Now this is interesting. It slated for December 12th. And I need to go! For me watching these guys performing is as good as a holy dip in the Ganges!