Trip To Delhi

Here I come again with another account of my latest  journey to Delhi and Rajasthan which was a combined journey  from 1^st till 10^th Apr,2014  but I will be sharing in two different blogs as there is so much to write about. Well the plan to go to Delhi has been there since last year from the time I got connected with my school friends and IITTM friends and since the school reunion happened on Dec 21^st,2013.And maybe because I had wanted to connect with my old friends and visit Delhi and Rajasthan  so badly that  I got a chance to revisit my old friends after 25 long years and visit the place I wanted to. They say that if you really want to have/do something very badly and think positively towards it, God will definitely show you a path. It has happened with me before and it happened again. For this I had booked the tickets in the month of January itself and when the days started getting nearer got very excited about it. Though I usually travel with my friends this was my first independent travelling. So I was scared as well. I had made a list of what to do and what not do so that I do not forget anything.

Finally the day arrived. My flight was at 8:50 am in the 1^st st morning but I was up awake at 4 am , unable to sleep .I had booked the cab to drop me at the airport at 6 am and was ready much before time. I reached airport one and a half hours early and after checking in was waiting for my flight to come. It was a  two and a half hours journey to Delhi. I had earlier planned to stay with one of my tourism friends but had to change it as her in laws had come home. But at the same time my classmate from school Rajeev , in fact both husband and wife are my classmates invited me to his house. In fact he also had been calling me for the school reunion which I could not attend last Dec. I was a little hesitant to go at first thinking of the inconvenience that could be for him and his family  as both of them work but now I am glad that I stayed in his place. I got such a warm reception from him, Anjali his wife and his parents and kids that I forgot that I am meeting him for the first time after 25 long years. Aunty  and Uncle specially made me feel so much at ease at home. I Reached his place Gurgaon in the afternoon around 12:30 pm and while going towards his place I was trying to recollect the Delhi where I used to stay. But I must say Delhi has changed so much in all these years, the roads have become so confusing  with all these Metros that have come up that I cannot believe I used to stay here once upon a time. I could remember the name of the place but if I had to go alone in all these places I would have felt lost.

Well I reached his place and Rajeev met in the afternoon during lunch time as his office is in the basement of his house. We hugged and exchanged pleasantries .Rajeev updated me about everyone and told me to call up and speak to all and let them know that I have reached Delhi .In fact they knew anyways thanks to Whatapp and Facebook. I  had gone during the navratris that started on 31^st March, so Aunty had prepared lunch without using onions ,garlic etc. But I must say she had prepared such nice dishes  with 3-4 varieties of  subzis and rotis, dal and rice and sweet dish. I relished it. Evening I had to meet another set of my friends ie my tourism friends  so Rajeev left me to relax and meantime I checked with Abira and Charu where to meet and what time to meet. We were supposed to meet at 6-6:30 pm in CP,Cannaught  Place at Delhi Coffee House .So I relaxed a little bit  with Aunty and me talking about many things and then after tea I went out at 5 pm. I travelled in metro  and Rajeev dropped me at Guru Dronacharya metro station and went to Rajiv Gandhi chowk metro station where Kunal was waiting for me.  Charu, Abira, Abhijeet , Kunal, Yogesh, Umesh, Pawan and Shantanu had come.We all hugged each other and it juch a joy seeing all of them together.

Once that was done we had coffee there and then decided to go to Mcdonalds there as the coffee shop was closing at 8 pm. Shantanu and Umesh had come with their better halves. Well as usual we chatted and relived the old days at IITTM and laughed and talked.After having dinner I left with Abira and Abhijeet who dropped me back to Gurgaon at around 10:30 pm.The second day I was to leave for Jodhpur with Kunal  by train which was scheduled at 5 pm. So Rajeev as he was free ,took me to the Ambience Mall in Gurgaon, which is one of the largest in Asia and showed me around .On the way I made some calls to few of my schoolmates Richa, Kavita, Anu, Itu,  Ravi etc to plan a gettogether with them and we had agreed to meet on 8^th Apr .Being Rama Navami most of them working could take out time to meet me .By the time I reached home it was lunchtime and Aunty as usual had made some delicious dishes .I  do not eat much but Aunty made me eat .She is such a wonderful host and such apnapan I had received in their place which I will always cherish.I had to leave early as I had plans to visit IITTM Institute as I wanted to see our Raghav Sir who heads the Institute and also Binay who was not able to come.So by 3 pm I reached near a common point and Binay picked me up from there and Kunal too was there.I met Raghav Sir who still remembered me .I was asking him about the others with whom I was not in touch and he connected me with them and gave numbers and that’s how I got  Aashish and Rajan’s number and Binay gave  Pinkyla’s number.We  spent an  hour and a half there and finally me and Kunal left for Nizammuddin station where we had to catch our train to Jodhpur which was at 5:15 pm.I would be reaching Jodhpur the next day i.e 3^rd Apr.So 3^rd Apr  till 7^th  Apr  morning  the itinerary was made for Rajasthan about which I will speak in my next blog.

7^TH Apr, afternoon I reached back to Nizamuddin station and took a cab back to Gurgaon. Aunty had prepared lunch and Rajeev also came back by that time and we had lunch together and I spoke about my experience in Rajasthan and the places I visited etc. Rajeev loves to show his guests in and around Delhi.Had I stayed in Delhi more I would have seen the entire Delhi  all thanks to him. So the time I stayed in Delhi he is the one who made the plans for me  and there was not even one day where I would have sat at home.From the time I came back from the trip i.e n 7^th till 10^th Apr he was an excellent host.In fact if i was able to see Delhi it was only because of him. 7^TH Apr coincidentally was Ashtami and Rajeev and his family was waiting for me to come back from Rajasthan  so that they could take me to Chattarpur,which is a famous Santoshi Maa Temple. We had gone years ago and that time there was one small temple.But that day when I went the temple was constructed big and and both sided of the roads there were temples of various Gods and Goddesses  from one end to another. It was like  you have visited a pilgrim place and also due to Navratri celebrations it was all lighted up in festivity. And thanks to him I got a very good darshan of Santoshi Mata and we did not have to stand in queque otherewise  it would have taken us hours to get a darshan. After Darshan  on the way back Rajeev took us to Cyberhub ,one of the most popular eating joints in Gurgoan which is open till midnight as you have lot of offices inside the premises of Cybercity  and Cyberhub is in Cybercity. In Cyberhub , once you enter you  have a choice to go to any restaurants of your choice and cuisine and on the bot h sides you will see reataurants .Rajeev told that this place reminds him of Singapore and the same concept has been used here.Well we had Kulfi and Coffee and two different places and by the time we got back home it was 1 pm.

Next day Anjali had planned for a School gettogether and this time it was all girls .Anjali who is a dentist had an off as it was Ram Navami. We had decided to meet at 11:30 am .Bhuvan had sent her car to pick us up So after Breakfast  Anjali took to Bangla Sahib Gurudwara which see goes regularly as it reminds her of her grandmother who also used to go regularly. After praying  we went to Cannaught place and then decided to go to United Coffee House. Most of them had turned up.Richa, Anu, Itu,Bhuvan, Geetanjali , Anjali and me.It was such a good reunion after 25 years.We hugged tightly and I was so happy that all of them had remembered me and made it a point to meet me and catch up.I was the only one in school who had very long and tall 2 long chotis and who used to bring idlis and dosa which they used to gulp it down. We chatted and chatted and laughed and talked and talked and spoke about our old school days. Time just flew and it was time for us to go back. Bhuvan dropped us back to Anjali’s place and by the time we could even sit and talk about it most of them had posted the snaps clicked in Whats app. So all those who could attend it was commenting that they wished they had come. Bindu was one such who could not turn up. But she called and told that she might drop in to see me if she could not come in the afternoon and I had informed Rajeev about it. So when she confirmed Rajeev invited both she and her husband for dinner. So the evening was also packed with Bindu and her husband arriving for dinner.It turned out to be a very lively affair with Uncle playing the mouth organ and Rajeev’s eldest son Abhinav playing all kinds of musical instruments from Guitar to table and doing a jugalbandi. That was an excellent synchronization we experienced .We really enjoyed the dinner. Rajeev was telling that Abhinav has not taken any music lessons but just picked it up. My god! That really is a talent. So the day ended at 12:30 and we retired to bed.

The next day i.e 9^th was another dinner planned with my tourism friends which was at 7:30 -8 pm. Rajeev took me to Bhuwan’s house and she made some very nice Ajwain ka Paratha and milk.So I had the half day with me and I did not want it to go waste. I had really wanted to go to Akshardham, one of its kind in India in terms of architecture. I am glad I went because  one really feels proud to be an indian after you see the place and attend two shows and a boat ride. There were many things in which India is a first be it in terms of medicine, science  etc. The entire tour takes some 3 hours to complete and by the time I finished it was time for me to meet my friends for dinner. We met in Cannaught Place again  at Flavours of China. We talked and finally said farewell at 10:30 pm. Abira and Abhijeet again dropped me at home by 11 pm. Tomorrow was the last day of my stay in Delhi  and even that did not go waste.Rajeev  and Anjali ,good hosts that they are took me to see Itu’s place .We were there for some 40 minutes and then he took me to see Mrs Balachandran, my school principal who recognized me as well. We all chatted. Itu was also there. Finally it was 1:30 pm and Maam reminded me the time. We rushed back home after dropping Itu . Aunty had made my favourite dishes and packed some some and Chole for my flight back home which was at 4:30 pm. So I took leave at 2:30 pm .I was so emotional while leaving their place .Rajeev and Aunty dropped me at the airport .I had aprehensions when I  had come to Delhi whether my friends will remember me  or not ,whether I will be able to meet them or not but I was very glad and happy that I made a trip to Delhi. Now I wished that I should never  have left Delhi in the First place.The love and affections that I had received from all my friends will always be cherished all my life. God bless you all .And God bless Rajeev and family for their wonderful hospitality.

Now I am looking forward to keep meeting them frequently.