A Tale of Three Cities

On 18th August 2012, from Hazrat Nizammudin Station, along with some college buddies, I had started a new journey, away from the city I love to call my birthplace and hometown.. 

Three hundred and sixty five days gone..And I still remember everything like it happened yesterday..I still remember how my parents were anxious and worried, I still remember the endless packing, I still remember our gossip sessions, smiles and tears throughout the train ride.. I remember every damn emotion associated with the commencement of this new phase.

Now when I think of writing a flashback post, trust me, its really hard for me to decide where to begin from.. One year, two completely different jobs in two different cities, independent life away from home, new people, life lessons, what not..

I used to feel that every time one retrospects, the pattern remains the same, the flashback is all about changes, about people coming into and going out of your life, experiences and turning points,smiles and tears..But this is for the first time that I realized how much your life changes just because you shift a few hundred kilometers, as and when you come to a new city! And both fortunately and unfortunately, I have seen such changes twice in the last 12 months..I dedicate this post to the three cities I have lived in - Delhi, Pune and Mumbai..

Dear Pune, I simply love you! 

I don't know how to put this into words, but there is a feel good factor about this city that words can't describe..I may be biased for whenever I was in Pune, I was happy, I was calm, I was free.. 

Coming from a city like Delhi, I tasted freedom and safety for the first time in Maharashtra, I fell in love with the weather, I admired the simplicity, I respected the people there..

Right from learning Marathi to doing household chores, right from fun with office colleagues to movies with my roomie, everything was fun.. I saw happiness in the smallest of things! 

I still remember how I used to call the flat where I stayed "my second home"..

The best thing about this place is that it gives you a balance, where life is not 'fast', where you neither run nor escape, where you simply live!!

Yes, I always missed Delhi, but I feel like thanking this city for memories I will always cherish, for four months of sheer peace and happiness and a sense of real freedom! 

Dear Mumbai, the love-hate relationship continues....

Mumbai fascinates me, intrigues me, amazes me everyday..

It has been 8 months in Mumbai now, but the weird feeling that I share a love-hate relationship with this city, does not seem to fade away at all..

I still find it hard to believe that I can roam around freely at 12 AM and nobody gives a damn, I am enjoying every bit of the night life of the city that never sleeps and I simply love that!
But its ironical how the so called glamorous city with tall buildings and beaches totally sucks as far as infrastructure is concerned..Stinking roads, filthy slums, crowded areas everywhere and travelling becomes a real pain..I swear I hate that more than anything else!
Cliched though it may sound, but life here is actually fast! You don't really get the time to understand, think or realize why you don't have time..This city inculcates in you a weird tendency to be emotional yet indifferent..You start dreaming big, but you learn how to detach yourself from attachments rather quickly, you learn how to keep walking, keep moving ahead, yet, there is something that makes your life melancholic, tired and restless..

But then, you visit Marine Drive, you feel the sea breeze, you observe the sea waves and you smile continuously! Your restless mind discovers peace, your impatient heart feels calm and relaxed.. You are blessed with an amalgamation of tranquility and exhilaration and I love that feeling beyond words!

I saw the worst of myself in Mumbai, it was un-Sonia-ish-ness at its peak in my words..But then, Mumbai gave me people who always loved me, who chose to stand by me even when I was at my worst..

I still happen to be a part of the crowd living in this city and I am continuously exploring it..Mumbai has been challenging so far, but it makes me feel proud all the same!
Back to back blogs dedicated to Mumbai, coming soon!

Dear Delhi, all I have to say is that..

It does not matter where I go or what I do, it does not matter how many years pass by, I hate it when people associate me to any caste/religion/language/community, but I call myself a Delhite, I belong to Delhi... Speaking directly Dil Se, my heart belongs to places inside Delhi, and that's the reason why I call it "Dilli Meri Jaan"

Somewhere close to the Kashmere Gate Campus where I had spent four unforgettable years of my college life, somewhere close to its classrooms and walls where I used to laugh out loud and gossip..

Somewhere close to the Metro Stations and somewhere inside the Metro trains..

Somewhere close to the roads of Rajiv Chowk where I used to hang out with friends..

Somewhere close to the tranquility of Bangla Sahib..

Somewhere close to the delicious Gol Gappe, Tikki and Chhole Bhatoore you won't find in any other city in India..

And of course, somewhere close to the place I call my home, with my mom and dad..

Yes, my heart belongs to you !! 

Next Blog soon!

Wishing myself a happy 'Life in Maharashtra' anniversary!

Cheers!!!

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From 'Hello Dilli' to 'Kasakai Pune'

After a long long break, it feels really great to be back to blogging.. The past 50 odd days of my life were all about a new phase, a phase of life away from home, away from internet and blogs, exploring new places, new people, new languages..I can go on writing about it all, describing a plethora of emotions, but this blog particularly talks of the city where my second home is, the city that brought a new phase, a drastic change into my life, Pune, Pune (Pimpri Chinchwad) to be precise!

You know you are living in Pune when:

• Every other area of the city has a hopelessly weird name.. Chinchwad, Pimpri, Nigdi, Chikhli, Talwade, Kondhwa, Wakad etc to name a few.. Trust me when I say this, some of them actually sound like swear words.. “Bhosri” tops the list.. Imagine speaking this out, “Bhosri mein jane ka hai”.. For one moment, you would actually feel that you are abusing someone!
• Wherever you go, you’ll find manufacturing firms, plants, IT sector companies, ABC companies, XYZ companies.. In short, this place is a hub for all engineers and MBAs.. You will find young people all around and this is what makes this city so lively!
• On every fucking road, after every 100 odd meters, you will find a hoarding/board that says, 1BHK, 2BHK flats for rent..You will find the same advertisement during commercial breaks of all radio shows..
• The most lovable thing about this city is the incredible weather..Your day would start with the sun shining bright, you’ll find clouds and clouds in the afternoon and you’ll be blessed with “halki halki barish and tez hawa” in the evening..You might keep on walking and you would not get tired at all..You would feel like going out for a long drive, singing out loud, you would discover how weather can affect your mood.. Now that the rainy season is over, I really miss those early September days.. nevertheless, even the October heat is better than the extreme temperatures at Delhi..
• Even outlets like McDonalds and Dominos have their signboards in Hindi/Marathi..You'll find funny Marathi signboards on roads that say, "vaahan hallu chala, kaam chalu aahe" (Go slow. Work in progress) but the irony is that only chaat walas and pani puri walas have their list of items written in English, with abbreviations on top of that..Yes, every pani puri wala's long list of snacks has an abbreviated term called S.P.D.P. included in it, which stands for Sev Puri Dahi Puri..
• Almost half the girls of the city walk with their hair, their face totally covered with a Dupatta..I took a week to understand the logic behind this.. Unfortunately, air pollution is a major problem in the city, and apparently, the most noticeable consequence of the same is hair fall.. Girls are forced to adopt the daakoo style.. Sigh! 
• Even if you are a hard core Delhite, even if you do not know how to speak in Marathi, you develop a tendency to talk in the Marathi-ish tone..Phrases like 'barabar hai', 'aane ka hai', 'jaane ka hai' become a part and parcel of your vocabulary..
•  If you take a direct auto from one place to another, you’ll have to spend 200 bucks, while if you change 3 shared autos for the same distance, it will cost only 15 odd rupees..The same shared autos would never agree to take you to the place directly even if you offer them more than 100 rupees..
• When you come to Pune from a place like Delhi, all of a sudden, you taste freedom that you could never even imagine.. No matter what you wear, no matter at what time you go out, you would always feel safe, nobody would even stare or look at you, leave alone eve teasing.. For this very reason, I not only love this city, I actually respect its people.. Sometimes, I feel like settling into this city forever..Jai Maharashtra!!

Pune has been an awesome place so far and no matter how much I like Pune as a city, whenever I have to travel in shared autos and six seaters, I miss Delhi Metro badly.. I miss metro stations, I miss Cannaught Place, Kashmere Gate, I miss the way I used to read novels, observe people in metro trains.. 

When I say, "My name is Sonia and I am from Delhi", people can never attach any religion, any language, any caste or community to my identity, and this happens to be the best part of being a Delhite! I miss that feeling when people attach religions/communities/languages to different places..

Whenever I have to eat tasteless food at office, I badly miss Delhi’s unbeatable awesome food and above all I miss mom ke hath ka khana.. I miss Delhi’s style..I miss my college, I miss my home! 

Dilli Meri jaan, I will be back soon! 

This is a new chapter, a new life for me..

#StartANewLife

Guys do check out this link here..

Every city is special, and the house where we live in is even more special.. I am in love with my new house in Pune..It is my second home..On that note, do check out this video from housing.com

Cheers!!

Next blog soon! 

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Life In A Metro- Part 2

Based on the women only coach in the Delhi Metro, dedicated to all Delhites... (Dilli Meri Jaan)

For all the readers outside Delhi and outside India, the Delhi Metro had started with the women only coach from 2nd October, 2010.. The first coach is reserved for girls, ladies and kids now..
This post, just like the post, Life In A Metro, is based on my own experiences and observations...Check out the different categories of people and their reactions, one by one...I hope you all would be able to relate..

1.The Aunties : They are overwhelmed with joy and words cannot describe their happiness and pride.. After all, now they have platforms with 'Women Only' written on a pink background, and crowd control barriers to keep the men out of the area meant for them...Now, even if a man enters the ladies coach by mistake, they actually start shouting, "Bhai Saab, ye hamari metro hai, aap jaiye yahaan se varna...." , half of these aunties have started talking to men like Underworld Dons and half of them talk as if they are the guards of DMRC..
Now they can openly carry on their 'really loud' talks about TV soaps, about their families and above all their favorite topic, 'ye aaj kal ki ladkiyaan' .. It has been 3 years since I have been travelling in the Delhi Metro, and I am still not able to understand why Aunties stare at college girls (much more than young guys )... Given that the ultimate bimbos have started travelling in the same coach, Aunties are actually enjoying staring and commenting on their skimpy outfits, which reminds me that I should start with the next category..

2.The Bimbos : Well, contrary to what I had expected, the bimbos are really glad too, and it is not just because of the factors like less crowd, comfort n all...Given that there are no guys around to check them out and they are still happier, I realized something about them..Perhaps, women enjoy other women getting jealous of them much more than other men admiring their beauty...
They get a chance to flaunt their hairstyles, their accessories, make up kits and on top of that, at times, they treat the first coach like a mini beauty parlor, using lipsticks, cosmetics and a hell lot of other things from their handbags..They are as loud as the aunties and often talk to their boyfriends about real personal stuff, as if they wish to flaunt their personal lives too...

3.The Guys : Firstly, this category is really unhappy, infuriated and frustrated ever since this special coach for girls started... Secondly, sometimes I feel that this category must be renamed as 'The Despos' ... Alright, the reasons for their anger are obvious,their coach is more crowded, they cannot look at the 'eye candies', the aunties scold them badly even if they try to enter the ladies coach and then, the list goes on... I heard a guy talking to his friends, he was saying,
'pehle yellow line me jate the to DU ki sari hot girls hoti thi, ab wo sab ladies coach me chali jati hain, jo apne boyfriends k saath hoti hain unhe hum check out nahi kar sakte, saala sara mazaa kharab kar diya metro ka..' This is exactly what he had said and I was not at all surprised for obvious reasons..
And now, an advice for all couples and uncles, avoid the second coach, it is the one with maximum people for all guys love to stand there, looking towards the first coach, full of all kinda girls.. This is like a compensation for all those despos..

4.The Couples : Awww, poor couples, sometimes I feel pity for them...They have to stand more crowd.. There is no comfort, no privacy at all left for them.. They have got rid of the aunties though..Well, the couples were once the talk of the town for their PDAs (Public Displays of Affection), and now, no one talks about them at all...

5.The Uncles : Sad and angry once again.. You can always hear them saying, 'Ek to pura coach reserve ho chuka hai auraton k liye, phir bhi wo ladies seat k liye bolti hain, arre wo apni coach me jayen, hum kyun de unhe seat.. ' and then, they have actually started asking girls to get up from their seats and go to the coach reserved for them, and then they say to each other, with a smile on their face, 'Aur kya, pehle ye auratein bhi to humein hamari seat se uthne ko bolti thi, ab hum kyun na bolein, haq banta hai hamara bhi..'

6. The Infants :Well, I spend almost 2 hours in the Delhi Metro or at the Metro stations almost daily, it has been three years, and to my surprise, I had never even noticed these kids before..So, here comes the new category, the infants, travelling along with their mothers in the women only coach.. Once upon a time, they used to look really cute and girls used to go awwwwwwww looking at them.. Now, they keep on crying, screaming and crying and crying all the time.. Kids who are in the age group of 3 to 6, play games like 'Pakdam Pakdai' inside the metro...They don't let you study, they don't let you listen to music..Describing them in one word, 'Ufff !'

7. College Girls :All of them were happy initially, for the fact that they got rid of the f***ing crowd in the Blue line and Yellow line.. But then, with the aunties gossiping loudly, with all girls chatting on their phone continuously,with all babies crying, with everyone talking about something or the other, they came to two conclusions.. 1. Avoid the women only coach in Green line and Red line (in the afternoon) for there is no crowd.. 2. Say no to the first coach during exams, you won't get a chance to study..
Apart from this, college girls have got a new topic to talk about.. They can talk for hours and hours about the so-called good and bad points of the women only coach.. and then, they get a chance to discuss about girlie stuff, saying, 'Yar tujhe pata hai, aaj maine metro me naye style ki chappals dekhi n ek bandi ne kya handbag carry kar rakha tha yaar.. ' , ' Yar aaj kal ye dress kitni common ho gayi hai, ladies coach me pata nahi kitni ladkiyan dikhti hain is dress me'.. In short, when girls have nothing to study and they are travelling alone just with their headphones and novels, they get a great chance to analyse the latest stuff..


With this, the blog comes to an end, some more things to say...

1. I never had an intention to make fun of the women-only coach, its just that it was worth writing a blog.. In spite of all the technical problems, in spite of all these people who disturb you at times, Delhi Metro rocks !! I cannot imagine this city without it..
2. This is NOT at all a work of fiction, imagination or exaggeration..
3. There are n number of lines in Hindi, sometimes translating into English spoils all the fun and the style of writing..
4. (For IGIT girls) In case if you feel that this blog is incomplete, please write about whatever you feel is missing in the comment box..

Enjoyed writing this post after back to back romantic blogs....

Keep reading!
Sonia Bhatia

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LIFE IN A METRO

Well this has got nothing to do with the lifestyles of the people living in metropols.. This blog is based on our very own Delhi Metro..which has become an integral part of the lives of all Delhites.. No, this is not at all based on its speed, new routes, connectivity, crowd n stuff like that.. You can always read all that in newspapers.. This blog comes up with the observations and experiences of a passenger..Yes, I have been travelling in the Delhi Metro since I took admission into college, and on an average, I spend about two hours in the metro or at the metro stations daily.. Ya, even I am fed up of the crowd of the F****## Blue Line, even I am sick n tired of the technical problems..but then, I still am a fan of the Delhi Metro..This blog is dedicated to all the people who travel in the Delhi Metro n the DMRC.. In fact, I have divided them into categories.. Here are the types of people you'll find inside the metros :-

1. The Aunties: Rarely found in the yellow line, these auntys are always sitting on the ladies seat (even if a seventy year old man is standing with crutches in his hand, these ladies wont let him sit on the seats reserved for them.) They are the only ones who never sleep even though they have a seat, because their favourite time pass is to stare at college students.. Yeah, even if a boy n a girl discuss a mathematics problem, they'll stare at them as if they are kissing each other in public.Sometimes, they actually start commenting on the kinds of dresses teenagers wear.. they keep discussing the daily soaps n disturb you the most when you are studying before an important exam.. N you feel like saying "Aunty, will you please shut up?", the most interesting scene to watch is when an aunty talks to people of the next category, well this reminds me
that I should stop describing the boring auntys n should come to the next category..

2.The Couples : You'll find them on every possible route, walking together..hand in hand..they never disturb students because they speak slowly and are lost in their own world, still they are really irritating.. They dont really have to reach a particular station.. They just keep roaming around from C Sec to Jahangirpuri, from Dilshad Garden to Rithala,,its the cheapest kinda date you see..n the most irritating part.. the so called PDAs( public displays of affection).. people are actually fed up of them all..but probably they would never get that..

3.The DU guys : Well this is simply the most interesting category, n this is going to be the longest paragraph too! I dedicate this category to all those B.Tech guys who think that they are losers n the DU guys are cool studs.. Now I guess, I should start..

Hmmm, DU guys, always there in the Yellow Line of course..They are sitting on the seats reserved for ladies n senior citizens all the time, n like the aunties, you can never expect the DU guys to offer seats to physically handicapped people too..They have the weirdest kind of dressing style.. In most of the cases, they're wearing loose T-shirts with capris n they actually go for girlish accessories (bands, earrings,red n yellow chappals)... I don understand how one can call them to be cool.. Most of the time, they are actually sleeping.. people with no energy..I am still trying to figure out why people think that they are smarter than the engineering students..
Anyways, here goes the most unforgettable incident related to the Delhi Metro..I was travelling in the Yellow Line, a guy,a DU guy, came up to me n directly said "Are you interested in me?"..I had the obvious reaction, "Excuse me,come again!"..It was like a huge shock. He was a physics honours student from DU, knew my name, my college n my branch too...Well,I could have never imagined that even DU guys could be such 'Despos'.. I dont know if writing this publicly is right on my part or not, but I jus felt that this blog would be incomplete without this...It made me understand the logic behind the silly announcement 'Kripya kisi anjaan vyakti se dosti na karein'

Well,no offences to DU guys..I know that all of them are not the way I have described them in this blog..

4. The Uncles : Now these are the people who think that no one else knows anything at all about metro... They keep repeating the rules, God knows why.. They keep irritating you giving all kinds of instructions "Beta, zara us side pe ho jao..Baki logon ko khade hone ki jagah mil jayegi..",they stare at you when you are studying,n they keep discussing political issues as if they are the leaders of the nation..

5.The Bimbos : Well,these bimbos are always there to irritate you...anywhere at all.. even in metros..Yeah,they wear those 4 inches pencil heel even if they are 5'8" already, n at times they actually step on your foot, you feel like killing them.. Yes, this had happened once. I told you, this blog is based on the experiences and observations of a passenger.. Even inside the metro, they keep combing their hair, they keep talking about cosmetics, hair styles,make up, all the time...


THE MOST UNFORGETTABLE PART

• The best excuse for the late comers for the 9AM class : " Sir, metro rajiv chowk pe kharaab ho gayi thi sir, badi der tak ruki rahi, badi mushkil se college pahunche hain sir'.
• Breaking the rules, something that I enjoy the most- having Bingo Mad Angles n Frootis in the metro, sitting on the floor, obstructing the closing n opening of the doors...
• I enjoy writing stuff when I am travelling, all these poems n songs that I have posted on this blog, were actually written by me in the metro ( I save all that in the drafts folder of my cell) by the way.. Zarre Zarre Ki Ye Iltija Hai.. Finally a meaningful n unromatic poem by me.. dedicated to those who desire peace n humanity.. coming soon..
  
• I love gossiping with my friends in metro.. talking to your friends n laughing a lot..
• My favourite Metro Stations are Rajiv Chowk,Kashmere Gate n Netaji Subhash Place.. Studying at the Kashmere Gate McD, simply checking out the posters n books at Rajiv Chowk, Metro MUseum at Patel Chowk, Gol Gappe at NSP.. waiting for your friends at the metro station, its unlimited..
• Its when you are carrying very thick books, that the security check people say " Beta, ye kitaab bhi checking k liye machine me daalo, itni moti kitaab me kuch bhi chhupaya ja sakta hai", as if engineering students are terrorists..
• Funny announcements by the driver like," Gaadi abhi nahi chalegi,takneeki kharabi k kaaran hui is asuvidha se jo khed hua hai uske liye humein khed hai "
• I am in love with this city, Dilli Meri Jaan...n I cant imagine Delhi without the Delhi Metro..
• Finally the Green Line would start in March, eagerly waiting for it.. I will get rid of the blue line..

At the end, just one thing to say, wish we had Commonwealth Games every year..n wish we could get rid of these technical defaults n problems forever..

Next Blog Soon

Sonia Bhatia

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