Have you ever been to school, "naked"?... Like in a dream?. If so, u will understand my feelings when I landed in Delhi airport for the first time. All your friends looking at you, giggling..., and then you realize that you should have worn something, and feels guilty. I wasn't naked; I was in my favourite camouflage three fourth and a round collared cotton t shirt, but for Delhi's weather in the month of January, I was as naked as a newborn....
It all started with a two weeks leave, and was driven by love. Yes, the love story which I can't tell you right now, but in due course of time, I will.I wanted to experience the thrill of being in a cold station. So my friends in haldwani and dehradun gives me the idea of visiting these places, and I swiped my card for a three hour flight to delhi. Adhering to the drill of keeping the window panes open, I found that is was paper white outside too - fog. Everyone geared up as if they were going for an expedition to the poles, babies in cute winter clothings, gloves, mufflers, and there stood myself, "naked". It was an amazing experience to feel the cold moist air on the skin and shiver occasionally making it funny enough for the kids and their moms to laugh. (Yeah, the dads were stone faced.)
Bob's mom was surprised too, when she saw me for the first time. Before I unpacked my luggage looking for a warm clothing, her warm hospitality comforted me with a cup of hot tea. After a quick lunch, I set out to Haldwani, heading to Old Delhi railway station. I took the metro from Jor Bagh, and was a world class experience. Very soon I landed up in a cycle rickshaw, careening through the crowded streets all the way to Red Fort. Dirty dusty streets and a traffic with no traffic sense. What a change in a matter of a few minutes. A country of immense diversity. Some clicks on my camera and then I rolled my feet to the railway station through Chandni chowk. I asked for directions; people extended their hands to the right and said left. Sometimes first left, sometimes a second left, which brought me infront of a shop or back to the same smoking "Santa" who grins at me as if he meant to say "chu*!@ cut gaya na beta?.. " My internet wasn't working else I would have made my way out, I guess. AXN should shoot an episode of amazing race Asia in this maze.
Finally someone took me out of the labyrinth of shops through a small shop's alleway but I never had the faith that I would reach my destination on time; but thank god and him, I reached the station on time. The train was about to leave.
It was 6 pm by then. I kept my rucksack on the rack and as the shadabdi express was about to leave, a passenger came and sat next to me. It was getting cold and would be even colder when I reach haldwani.. I was tired and... I.. just.. dozed off..zzz...
