Multiple Lives

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Nov 28, 2008 – Semester - I has ended and we have decided to leave Jaipur at the earliest. Having cleared all the balances and settled things we leave for the bus as Dudi boss threatens to accompany us all the way till Delhi and I poke fun at him, knowing deep inside me that he will not. Journey is casual one with my friends receiving calls and I simply waiting for them to be free and meanwhile checking out scenes on the road and around. In no time, time runs specially fast when you wish it to be slow, we are at midway Behror. Large LCD is beaming time lagged videos of Mumbai Under Siege. Its day 3 of financial capital of nation being held captive by some 10 terrorists as defence forces try to allay them. The scenes of choppers air-dropping troops on roofs of multi-story concrete apartments is thrilling, despite the chilling reality of several lives being at risk. A generation fond of playing Call Of Duty, Medal Of Honor though aware of the gravity of situation can’t help but enjoy the adrenalin rush, impulses the repeated telecast of videos gives. The lack of information make it seek more and as always it is fun to sulk at some other “ideology”, probably a way of establishing our superiority and thus feeding our egos. Meanwhile the second half of the journey continues and its a lazy one, in the later part Avi and I are chatting a lot, looking at the high rises of Gurgaon and changing seats just for fun. DK is my destination. Wait there till Tan and Shaily leave. An auto takes me to home, family still don’t know that I am coming back. As auto stops at a red-light in Delhi cantt I enjoy a short game of “catch-catch” with boys in school bus beside me. Since all the paper balls the boys had fall on the road we had to discontinue and I was once again thinking, is Delhi actually that bad as projected by the crap media reports daily morning in newspapers and TV news. At home, as I wait for my plate of Paranthas, it is all gory videos of blood and wrath at the Taj Mahal hotel, The Oberoi and CST massacre. Every channel is beaming its own theory of attack and the saga continues. The first week of vacations passes seeking more and more info about the incidents and yup planning our maiden outing in Delhi; the Adventure Island trip. Remembering those who paid for human insensitivity exactly 10 months ago I close this post, wishing justice to be brought to a city which certainly is unbeatable in many senses and rivals Delhi excellently.