Its been a long time since I posted. A very long time actually. Delhi is over, Mumbai is over, Pune is the new city of joy. With its bad roads and non existent book shops, non a/c cyber cafes propagating online gaming, its trots along, peacefully. There is some soul here. Many will surely disagree, most likely, most will. Took me 3 years to reach this forlorn conclusion, yes, this conclusion is forlorn. Firstly this city is small. And is it tiny. The road density has its own private shoot-at-sight orders. It aims to kill. But then again that is the same old story of every small city deprived of a decent admin.
There is this inherent joy in complaining. Relieves us of the pressure of taking any potentially useful steps. The joy of pee-ing on the road and then critising the ‘Indian’ mentality the next time I cross the same lane that is now smelling of decomposing ammonia acids is liberating. (also for once the over eager chauvinists cant blame women at large. The absolute generalization fails, thankfully). Well, as a model citizen of this country I do not pollute public areas, at least not when I’m sober, but can this free expression of democracy be the true reason for the 13000 mark in the markets and a nearing 2 digit growth rate?
I wonder what my city would be without the thousands of two wheelers snaking its way through dead traffic, cursing and reving their engines…..
There is this area near college, where I happen to reside, thats popularly known as DBC. Short for Deep Banglow Chowk. It’s a typically crowded, shop infested locality where at first glance you’d wonder where all the flats are. The buildings are old, with rotting paint and exposed pipes and wires, trying desperately to show off the new coat of paint it just got(more often than not, it’ll be a bright flourescent yellow or such like) that will in all likely-hood be no existent by the next rain fall. Picture this: from my balcony you can see a green house with red lines meant for design purposes, to its left is a bright, sorry super bright yellow building , then a pink set of houses and lastly the balcony its self is blue with Hanuman orange doors and windows. There are a few coconut trees and a few palm trees, with enough imagination , we have an imitation of Goa(that’s mainly for the feel good factor).
DBC, always reminds me of Death by Chocolate in Corner House, Bangalore.
I live here, and I absolutely love this place, its convinient, close to therest of the world, as my room mate loves to say: its got the power of the three golden words – Location! Location! Location! But its more than that. Its home.
My greatest complain against Pune is the absence of western loos!! Why? Why? What is wrong with this world today. If you want a person to propogate nuclear disarmament , you’ll have to, I repeat, have to, give him his throne.
Every once in a while you rediscover this old passion. Some what like revisiting the childhood home, where you grew up and left behind for the big city. Not very unlike was the rediscovery of this place adjoining our college : the N.C.C canteen. It’s a magical place. I have wasted countless hours there, drinking its milky north indian chai and discussing the lousy ways in which our college operates.
Symbi! Oh Symbi!
There is this point in every humans life when they start question the standard replies to sterotypical questions. There is this lull, white noise, the requiem light, deafening and painful. Not loud nor silent, not even audible, a high pitch scream that only inaudible parts of our selves can register a response to. So I reached this point too. In my own time
and Assamese speed. Which is highly slow, by the way. I discovered that these were not my questions but of the city. The answers were somewhat fake. Disguised. Its said that deception is the best disguise, and its holds true here.
To put it simply, the way I prefer the Blossoms over all the Crosswords all over the sub continent, with its large glasses and fancy recliner chairs that beg you to stay and read is a marketing stroke of genius, the longer you sit there, the more your chances of picking up objects outside the agenda, but its substandard. Its like the notes I make to self or the New Years resolution that I’m going to make in 22 days. Its steel and glass.
Ever wondered how plastic cups starts leaking before the actually break.
Crash courses are another aspect of Pune that amuses me. It gives you a crash course in every thing , from friendships to wines, riding fancy bikes to auto tarrif cards readings. Its all here. I’ve spent 3 years here, 2 more are left, I often wonder, am I talking to my self again, like the first time I was going to get a tetnus shot, I told myself that the needle was too small and I was a few million times its size for fear to be a factor.
I forget the outcome of that needle chill.
Wisdom will come to me.
I will go jogging every morning.
I will have breakfast.
I will attend college
And get a first div.
I will not curse and I will clear German.
I will sing only while bathing.
I wont watch too much t.v.
I will wonder.
I will laugh at the newspapers optimism.
I will start drinking coffees instead.
I will start answering sterotypical questions
from the day after tomorrow.
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