Sunday, May 20, 2007

The IS and the WAS

Its been a really long time since I posted. No net connection and the most limited access to the web world will have to take the blame.

I am in the city I was born in, therefore it would be right to say that it holds a lot of memories of my childhood ranging from amazing to awful. But the point is, I am back to where I thought I belonged. Maybe, maybe not.

Six years and so much has changed. The roads are brilliant, flyovers have made distances seem near negligible. CNG vehicles have reduced pollution considerably. Incessant honking, unnecessary howling has been almost done away with, almost. It exists, here and there. Malls and some more malls now 'aaram se' sit pretty on those encroached government paths that came under the sealing drive. All of that is legal, by the way. Traffic police have more power than the Prime Minister and rightly so, you dont wear a helmet, pay 600 bucks fine, your pillion without a helmet pay some more! Now, drunk driving, talking on the phone and smoking while driving all amount to fines and a better half of your life chakki peesing. not so 'fine'!!

So much and some more. Auto guys are second only to the underworld, they wont come where you wanna go, their rates are so exhorbitant that even Chidambaram would agree with their inflation excuse! "madam mehangaayi itni badh gayi hai, bachchon ko kya khilayenge?" But they are the best source for info and have an opinion about everything. "Ab to Mayawati aa gayin na, dekhna sonia nahi tikegi, ye sab badal jaayega." I smile and he nods in acknowledgement, we communicate through the rear view mirror. Buses are fun, people sleep and continue sleeping even if the bus bumps over the speed breaker several times over, I am amazed at their impeccable balance. Metro !!! Simply rocks, the system is so user friendly that any idiot like me can travel without any hassles. well maintained and absolutely spotless..

So much has not. Shopkeepers are still open to bargaining, " Bhaiya kya yaar, hum phir aayenge na, dene ka daam bolo," he will make a face and then say with utmost respect "le jaiye madam, ab bhi kya yaad rakhengi" ...
I still hate to shop. Palika bazar and janpath invite those who love to empty their pockets to the temptations of every day life at a much cheaper price. Rightly so.

People are the same, the warmth exists, the " haan jis and namaste ji's " "kya haal hai?" " aaj to tum chaa gaye!", People you have met just yesterday, remember your name and if they cant, the guilt and disappointment is more than obvious on their sweating faces. Beat the heat, how, nobody has figured out yet. Life still goes on, come wind, rain or hailstorm.

BUT..

There is always a 'but'. Delhi is not home, Delhi is not where i see myself settling down (actually i dont see myself 'settling down' at all!) , Delhi was once the place i always wanted to be, Delhi was once my home. Period.

Bangalore with all its traffic jams, lazy people, slower than a snail life, is where I belong... Bangalore with all its inadequacies, Bangalore with christ college, Bangalore with Sri Sri, Bangalore with so much and not so much.
Bangalore is home....

Delhi WAS.

Bangalore IS.

And there lies the difference....

13 comments:

Ree said...

u know, i always brace myself mentally before i venture into ur blog. coz i know u will say sumthin i have been trying not to say. or think. u did it again. in a very brutally honest way, we share present homes. yet again. stop infiltrating into my thoughts MT. it freaks me.

Anand Sarolkar said...

Seems that all you people seriously miss Bangy!!!

But (Yet another 'but':D)I can understand. I too miss Pune!

Cosmos said...

Things change with time. When you miss something you realize its position in your life after leaving Bangalore I also thought that “Bangalore wo nahi jo hum socha karte the.”
By the way Bangalore is calling you.

angelofdusk said...

i so know that feeling!! i was actually waiting for u to blog ur thoughts on delhi... and was hoping u'd say u miss home that is... i really was hoping, bangalore is a lonely place now, even home is not home without its people being in town, tussi vahin rahoge? tussi vahaan naa reh jao!!
well written i say

Sh'shank said...

I hate to say I told you so but Alas!
I had told you so...
Dili Dil waalon ki naagri...
Arre Dili Waalon Dil ka kay daam hai?
Kya uska naap tol hai?
Jao ghar jao re!
Jahan chaho wahan banao re!

PS: you also got the stupid Verification??
Abbe even if you jumble Ill still know which is which. Promise!!! Why test?

Anu said...

fcuk!!! i neva thought il hear that from u! i mean the three years i was with u, you dreamt about delhi and what u missed was u had in ure heart made blore ure own. needs another person, or place to tell u which is home!!!:)
very nice post. wish icould write like that. delhi was, blore is. i am scaredof comin back now!!!
cuz this is also afterall my life right???

Pavitra said...

Neat post...its natural to love the city you did college in...it grows with you..you grow with it...but Delhi is an awesome city as well...give it sometime...it might win a small tiny part of ur heart as well! B'lore rocks i agree...but Delhi never changes...and thats rare.
Kudos!

bhavna2716 said...

hey dushman this time u posted it first i waned to write the same about Bom nad Bangy but chalo u gave me some god masala to put in... its a bit surprising about delhi i always heared WOW! from u and then this post tum to pakki reporter ban gayi yaar Sacchi kahabar.. kudos !

mystupendoussalvation said...

Hey MT!!!
U rock babes Delhi is always My passion.... my home. my place where I wanna work in... but u know life changes every day somethings still goes on n on n never changes right!! my love for Bangalore is the same i dont wanna leave this place for anything wat delhi can offer me!!
U wrote many of ppl minds here who was in bangalore or who are in bangalore
right
hats off lady for ur guts to write

unforgiven said...

Home is such a, flimsy, word.
Home is where the heart is and the heart, is fickle.

crumbs said...

hmmm....i'm waiting for you to change your mind again :P
delhi was. b'lore is. ...will be
eventually u'll figure out, that its not the places, but the PEOPLE that make it home

Bhavna said...

SWEETHEART OF MINE!!!!

i knew it!!

come back then!!!

i miss having everyone here..

Gaurav said...

hey good1... so nw i knw wt 2 xpect in delhi; yeh its 6 yrs 4 me 2o

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