I have heard people say: Once a Delhiite, always a Delhiite. And I am a proud south-Delhiite, no less!!
For the un-initiated, south Delhi is considered the poshest, the most sophisticated and the most trendy area of Delhi, the capital of the country. Not to forget expensive. It is, after all, home to Khan Market, the costliest street of the country (Wait, I think its the world?) . It houses NCR's most upmarket shopping centres in South Extension and Greater Kailash.
Young school girls, college 'gals', working women in their early twenties and thirties (even aunties who just refuse look their age, for that matter!) catwalk down the parallel lanes of M-block market in GK in the most fashionable clothes you'll see away from the Milan Fashion Week. Young boys and young men drive through the thinnest lanes of the market in the costliest four-wheelers their dads can afford them, just to get a dekko of the 'maal' of Delhi, the south-Delhi girls.
Ok, so you do get the drift.
Now, coming from Delhi (south-Delhi actually) as I am, it was understandably, not easy to leave it all behind.
Infact, I remember my heart had stopped for a minute, back then on a sultry night of mid-2009 when my then-husband-to-be suggested we would have to settle outside Delhi. What! I almost thought of calling off the marriage, even after he tried to improve the offer by suggesting he could explore the option of London if I didn't like the idea of Pune.
Well, the fact that I was attached to Delhi is an understatement. I was born, brought-up, educated and employed in Delhi. There wasn't any me, if I wasn't in Delhi. I certainly couldn't snap it all and saunter off to some new town after marriage??!!
Why should I have to anyway! Why should all girls have to, if I may bring in the feminist angle to it!
I tried to explain to my husband-to-be, who is from Kanpur, by the way, that I was, and we could be, after marriage, living in the CAPITAL of the country, the hub of all things big and beautiful. The seat of power, the centre of style and sophistication.We just couldn't move out!!
Well, we did eventually, and here I am, in Pune. With no regrets, if I may add! :-)
Recently, by the way, my husband pointedly remembered to tell me the discussion he had with my father before our marriage on the Delhi-fixation-of-Delhi-girls. It so turns out, that my father (who is originally from Lucknow) went through the same debate with my mother (A pakka Delhiite) before even they got married!
So you see, its not just me. Its in the air of Delhi. It owns you. And you happily surrender...Sigh...
But..I have managed to break the shackles and the strings, much to the amazement of dear-husband, who didn't think i'll be able to manage anywhere out of Delhi. Well you see, Delhi girls are smart, they can manage anywhere, in any situation!!
Ok, so I am a Puneite now. And a happy one at that. :-)
But there is one thing of my beloved Delhi which is pulling me back...The Chaat...
The Aloo Tikki of Nathu Sweets, the Gol Guppas (of Lajpat Nagar, Noida and GK..in exactly that order), the Sev Puri of South Extension, the Tandoori-Momos on the road opposite Venky, the Raam Laddoos and Bread Pakoras of Central Market....Ummmm...my mouth is watering already....
Will husband-dear book my ticket to Delhi, fast?!!
For the un-initiated, south Delhi is considered the poshest, the most sophisticated and the most trendy area of Delhi, the capital of the country. Not to forget expensive. It is, after all, home to Khan Market, the costliest street of the country (Wait, I think its the world?) . It houses NCR's most upmarket shopping centres in South Extension and Greater Kailash.
Young school girls, college 'gals', working women in their early twenties and thirties (even aunties who just refuse look their age, for that matter!) catwalk down the parallel lanes of M-block market in GK in the most fashionable clothes you'll see away from the Milan Fashion Week. Young boys and young men drive through the thinnest lanes of the market in the costliest four-wheelers their dads can afford them, just to get a dekko of the 'maal' of Delhi, the south-Delhi girls.
Ok, so you do get the drift.
Now, coming from Delhi (south-Delhi actually) as I am, it was understandably, not easy to leave it all behind.
Infact, I remember my heart had stopped for a minute, back then on a sultry night of mid-2009 when my then-husband-to-be suggested we would have to settle outside Delhi. What! I almost thought of calling off the marriage, even after he tried to improve the offer by suggesting he could explore the option of London if I didn't like the idea of Pune.
Well, the fact that I was attached to Delhi is an understatement. I was born, brought-up, educated and employed in Delhi. There wasn't any me, if I wasn't in Delhi. I certainly couldn't snap it all and saunter off to some new town after marriage??!!
Why should I have to anyway! Why should all girls have to, if I may bring in the feminist angle to it!
I tried to explain to my husband-to-be, who is from Kanpur, by the way, that I was, and we could be, after marriage, living in the CAPITAL of the country, the hub of all things big and beautiful. The seat of power, the centre of style and sophistication.We just couldn't move out!!
Well, we did eventually, and here I am, in Pune. With no regrets, if I may add! :-)
Recently, by the way, my husband pointedly remembered to tell me the discussion he had with my father before our marriage on the Delhi-fixation-of-Delhi-girls. It so turns out, that my father (who is originally from Lucknow) went through the same debate with my mother (A pakka Delhiite) before even they got married!
So you see, its not just me. Its in the air of Delhi. It owns you. And you happily surrender...Sigh...
But..I have managed to break the shackles and the strings, much to the amazement of dear-husband, who didn't think i'll be able to manage anywhere out of Delhi. Well you see, Delhi girls are smart, they can manage anywhere, in any situation!!
Ok, so I am a Puneite now. And a happy one at that. :-)
But there is one thing of my beloved Delhi which is pulling me back...The Chaat...
The Aloo Tikki of Nathu Sweets, the Gol Guppas (of Lajpat Nagar, Noida and GK..in exactly that order), the Sev Puri of South Extension, the Tandoori-Momos on the road opposite Venky, the Raam Laddoos and Bread Pakoras of Central Market....Ummmm...my mouth is watering already....
Will husband-dear book my ticket to Delhi, fast?!!
though I don't belong to Delhi...I love this city..loved even before I came here..I always knew that I will settled down here and am happy that today I am here :)
ReplyDeleteParul, you know, much as I miss Delhi and my life there, I am beginning to like Pune too. I think its just about being receptive. Wat do you think?
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