Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Final Liberation

Published in Outlook, Delhi City Limits, September 22 Issue.

The instances of life and the moments you hold dear pass in front of your eyes as the end nears, they say. With a heavy heart, I say that the end is drawing near for me as well. I have just a few days left to see my world, my Delhi - the city where I have spent 25 years of my life i.e., my entire life, in my way. The days are numbered. I am certain. It is something that I brought upon myself. The move to the higher world is imminent. I am a courageous girl, not scared of the inevitable. In fact I am ready to brave it. So what if the things, which define my existence, like haggling with the autorickshaw drivers, will come to an abrupt end. Big deal, if the bus conductors will not have to welcome me with a smile and offer me their seat when the Blue line bus is overcrowded just because my false smile forces them to. The perks of the transfer to the higher order would mean that the summer heat, humidity of the monsoons and the bone chilling winters would not be able to touch me anymore while travelling from one space to another. Chatting to friends, in audio levels that could burst the eardrums of everyone in the vicinity, in true Dilliwala ishtyle will be something I did before the end came. Well now that I start thinking about it, I will not be able to capture the images of my Delhi on my camera phone anytime I feel like; that might be a bummer. Observing people and their little quirks while travelling in buses and autorickshaws will become a hobby- unknown and buried in the realms of anonymity. My blogs will cease to carry entertaining stories of my wild escapades on the public transport vehicles of Delhi. I will have to attune my brains to new rules of the new world. I will have to unlearn the practices that I have mastered in the last quarter of the century.

Nevertheless, this liberation promises to be exciting, thrilling, and at the same time nerve-racking, and terrifying. I know it in my heart that the best way to live through these last few days is to live to the fullest. Board the most crowded of buses and demand a seat from the Dilli ka ladka, who would give the most bizarre of arguments against vacating the seat. I can also maximise the experience of Delhi, by giving the vaguest of arguments myself, while bargaining with autorickshaw drivers – like, “I will concede to your demand of Rupees 20 extra, only if you fly me across the traffic jam at BRT.” Ah! I’ll do it all and more to make sure that my last days count.

If by now you are sympathising with me for my numbered days, then don’t worry too much! I have bought a new car and in a matter of days, instead of bus tales, I will have stories of Delhi driving for you.

21 comments:

Toon Indian said...

congrats for the car!!!
I am waiting to read about your adventures while driving on delhi roads.:)

Manoj Naudiyal said...

I traveled for almost 3 years in DTC and private blue line buses back in 2001-2004. I felt as if it was just yesterday after reading your posts. Thanks for refreshing my memories… Keep writing...

Sumit Pratap Singh said...

सादर ब्लॉगस्ते!

कृपया निमंत्रण स्वीकारें व अपुन के ब्लॉग सुमित के तडके (गद्य) पर पधारें। "एक पत्र आतंकवादियों के नाम" आपकी अमूल्य टिप्पणी हेतु प्रतीक्षारत है।

अविनाश said...

its always a gr8 feeling to have one....congrats

Dr.Nishi Chauhan said...

u remined me of my days in delhi, nice way of writing ,good work

HAREKRISHNAJI said...

nice blog

seno said...

i get bored of saying u write so well again and again..... so now u better start updating ur blog, as m waiting :|:P

Ujjwal Trivedi said...

Good one...:)

Ujjwal Trivedi said...

Good one....:) keep it coming!

Sumit Pratap Singh said...

सादर ब्लॉगस्ते,


आपने मेरे ब्लॉग पर पधारने का कष्ट किया व मेरी रचना 'एक पत्र आतंकियों के नाम' पर अपनी अमूल्य टिप्पणी दी। अब आपको फिर से निमंत्रित कर रहा हूँ। कृपया पधारें व 'एक पत्र राज ठाकरे के नाम' पर अपनी टिप्पणी के रूप में अपने विचार प्रस्तुत करें। आपकी प्रतीक्षा में पलकें बिछाए...

आपका ब्लॉगर मित्र

neha dhamija said...

Nice blogs...ur writing style is very similiar with a writer named Sushmita Bose who till recently used to write weekly article-"Single in the city". Keep going

Dr Ashish Mahobia said...

Thanks priyanka, for brightening up my day with ek chidiya.

do visit my blog and leave your positive criticism ( welcome)

Chuck Pefley said...

Hah! First I imagined you were perhaps moving out of the city or country; second, writing about a bit of fiction; third, perhaps dying from something incurable. Actually, as I think about it, your old habits and ways are in fact dying or at least stepping aside to make way for new habits and experiences. Fun tale of automobile acquisition. Hope you are by now enjoying your new transport and those previously in your daily path aren't missing you too much.

Rohit Gore said...

You must have heard this a gazillion times already, but let me say this one more time. This is a cool blog. I have never lived in Delhi for more than a couple of weeks, so would be lovely to see it through your blogs.

And thanks for your lovely comments on my story.

zo said...

u write so well :)
cant seem to find any sharing engine on ur blog. y dnt u put up something like Tell-a-Friend so that visitor like me can share ur posts with frens thru mails,IMs,blogs,socialnetworking sites etc...u cn simply register on www.socialtwist.com Do check it out :)

Anonymous said...

I was like Chuck, thinking all sorts of things and the car came out of nowhere. LOL

Neat post.

Rohit Gore said...

Hey Priyanka

Many many thanks for the 'award'. Thou art wonderful :-). It was quite overwhelming for me, as no one has ever done that to my obscure little blog on the cyber world. Okay, okay, I know I am being a bit melodramatic here!
Cheers
Rohit

Razigan said...

Ur baby shots r really really cool.......

Ur r rocking in ur Delhi posts.....

My appreciations to u and u deserve the award U recieved........

Unknown said...

hi priyanka...ur blog is very nice...

i have a website ...or sach mein hume acha lagega agar aap meri website (www.sunehrepal.com) par bhi join kare .... aapki joining ka intzaar rahega...

take care

Indrajit said...

Gr8 news tht u have a car..

congrtas ..
:)

all the best for ur future..
:)

Kaushik Bhattacharyya said...

im new to blogging and started only 2 days back....i was browsing thru the list of delhi bloggers and then stumbled on ur profile......i must say i am very impressed...the quality of the posts and the overall feel is very nice....