delhi metro...for the heck of it!

Last few days were all about traveling..Ahmedabad to Ghaziabad via Delhi, from Ghaziabad to Gurgaon, from Gurgaon back to Delhi, on two consecutive days.

Those who travel in Delhi must be aware of the condition of traffic especially during rains. The cabs are costly and auto wallahs are not trustworthy enough with unwritten rules of fares. Not to mention the confusion of twists n turns due to the expanse of the city and number of overbridges to add to the pandemonium. In such a place metro is a great relief.

I had four days in hand and meet four people in and around the NCR Delhi region. My only concern was that I would not carry my luggage via Delhi Metro. But things were not to happen the way I had planned. Last day of my travel gave me the lick of it.

I had planned that I would get down at Gurgaon railway station and leave my luggage at  my sister's place in Gurgaon when I will travel to meet other people. But my itinerary changed last moment. I stopped at Old Delhi railway station with my luggage which included one strolly and a large airbag plus my handbag,  Although my friend at Ghaziabad had mentioned that travelling by metro would be much cheaper, the very thought of taking the flight of steps at metro stations gave me goose bumps. Therefore instead of going by metro to Noida, I took a direct auto to some place in Noida. Since an auto wallah is not allowed to cross state boundaries my friend came to pick me at Noida to take me to his place in Ghaziabad.

Next day when I was left with minimum choice I returned via metro to Gurgaon. There are three steps for taking a metro..Step 1. Take the ticket and pls keep enough change, lest the person across the window refuses to give you the ticket. Step 2. Go to the check in counter, where you are frisked and your luggage passes through the detectors. Possibility is the lady who frisked me might have missed even a large sword the way she was doing her deal. Infact at one point the lady was completely absent and I passed the gateway without being frisked. Step 3. Take a flight of steps or escalators to reach the metro line. The metro station is so structured that sometimes I had to search for the escalators. Sometimes they existed while at other places they didn't.  My friend left me at Noida City Centre Metro Station., from where I had to get down at Iffko Chowk metro station and go to Gurgaon. Not to mention that I had to change the line at Rajeev Chowk Station which meant another flight of stairs. At Iffko Chowk after crossing one escalator which I had to search for because it was blocked from vision  by a pillar, then a flight of stairs as there was no other choice and last descended through a lift I took a cab to Gurgaon. Till so far I felt somewhat relieved that I didnt have to drag myself through the flights much.

Last day I had the toughest hour when I had to go to the New Delhi Railway Station, I took the metro from Iffko Chowk and  got down the metro at the New Delhi stop. I started searching for a Lift or Escalator, but there was none, Finally, I had to carry my total weight which must be close to 45 kgs. by two flight of stairs, first flight was of 20 stairs , while the second one was another 25 stairs. Once I crossed the first flight, some 7 coolies flocked me to help me with my luggage. I skipped past them thinking that I would be able to manage it on my own. But the moment I saw the next flight of steps I just gave up.  With my luggage and bad health it was a nightmare for me. I stood there staring at the altitude, when a coolie , a young boy of 16-17, possibly read my mind. He asked me which train I had to catch. Since I had reached way ahead of time, he told me that he would leave me just at the right spot where my bogie is likely to be. The boy also knew that my train would be boarded at platform no. 14 which meant almost a kilometre of running and two flights of stairs. He left me at the platform and I was really pleased to pay him his due.

I hope next time my visit to Delhi would only be official and not social which would mean minimum luggage, travel only by costly cabs and autorickshaws but no metro.

"Khushbu Gujarat ki" (This is an old blog recently updated and posted)

Amitabh Bachhan became the Brand Ambassador of Gujarat Tourism with much ado. Gujarat certainly is a place to be, and tourism can be a pleasure here with Dwarka, Somanth, Gir Sactuary, Thol Bird Sanctaury and many more religious and natural site-seeing places in close by region. What better time could it have been than Navratri and Garba. My eldest sister, Pankaj came down all the way from Lucknow to Gujarat on His (Read AB not GOD) calling.

She was perfectly well equipped to take care of 2 kids with the help of a helper accompanying her in the shape of my Jija ji (Brother in Law). The decision to visit as many places as possible in two days time was only her's. We (My second sister, Neeraj, and I were living in Gandhinagar for few years) were there to support her. Bags packed, n we were off to our trip to Dwarka-Somanth-Gir.

On our way to Dwarka from Gandhinagar, we thought the decision would materialize fairly easily. But, to err is human! Our visit to Dwarka became a stinky nightmare with fish stink driving us crazy. It is not a problem that can be much helped since Dwarka is a place of Fishermen and that it was a fishing season in mid-October. My niece fell ill. anyways!!









Next was the Somnath trip. Possibly Amitabh ji had flown to that place, but we certainly did not have that option. We had the option of traveling by road. There is only one State Highway which takes us to Somnath from Dwarka. God bless our Driver, Kamlesh Bhai, who managed to take us in single structure with no crams, fractured bones or sprains on the way. The highway was so ill maintained that at some places one would actually wonder if a road at all existed. I wonder how would a government call upon people for a tourist place without taking care of the fundamental requirement of proper roads. Modi ji, this is for you. Please do something about it.






Last was our road journey to Gir Sanctuary. Nothing can go wrong specially since AB has himself been talking about the PRIDE of LION. The potholes on the roads could have been just a chance attempt of Rain-Gods to save people from becoming prey of lions. The pictures here were taken as proof.






Well, I am a fan of Amitabh Bachhan like any other Indian and an admirer of Narendra Modi ji like any other Gujarati (though I am from Uttar Pradesh). The information given by them is like a verdict passed. I would appreciate that people who visit such sites have good memories and a desire to visit again just like AB tweeted. Gujarat Government can certainly do something about it.

Come-back

When a friend asked me to write more, I liked the idea again. Thanks to him!

When I gave up my job in December last year and some other more serious life-impairing issues simultaneously, I had only more and more days to sit and think. At that time I should have written, but the truth is, when you have all the time on earth you are busy to find business. That was the time, and hope its past.

I went back to my home-town. I called it my exile then, not realising that was also a time to rethink over and renew some old decaying spots of life.  Like everyone (excluding exceptions), I had my grudges with my mom, dad, sis, the house, the people, the city, everything; and it had worsened in the bad times. I stayed there for three complete months and each day was terribly miserable until at last when a channel of communication opened up between me and my family and things started sounding like the happy ending of a Hindi film. This was also a new beginning, a sequel in making!

Life does not follow the should's and must's. It moves. We live it. Its not yet time for me to think how and when I forgot all the should's and must's but I accept whatever happens to me, good or bad is my own doing. I am happy that before I left my town, I talked, I reconciled, I found my mom and dad in different avatars, I re-bonded with my sister, I spoiled my kids(neice n nephew), I made a new friend and replenished some old bonds of love. I dont mind a second exile, but a short one. pls!

I have titled this as Come-back recognising my come-back to writing and to good times.