ANOTHER TURNING POINT IN LIFE

I am once again at life’s cross roads. It seems to be playing the villain. Left home on Sunday, 16 January 2011 to Noida. I just prayed that the New Year had better days for me and my family. Hardly did I guess it would come in this guise. To give me a good career opportunity but snatch me away from my dear ones. Why should it be this way…I asked myself. Why should I go through this, every time? Have to make tough decisions and live a tough life, being the sole bread winner for the family I guess. So it all starts with me and ends with me.

It is about just 20 days since I have been here in Noida, a new work place HMEL…all new work culture…and all new place to live in. It seems like I have been apart from my family for ages now. I dread every minute when I think of them. How are they managing without me?  A husband who is so dependent on everything for me. Kids who hated my nagging but seem to now manage things at home so responsibly. I just feel…

Pyaar hai yah sazaa yeh mere dil bataa, Koi  na sune sisakthe aankhon ko, Na pucho hum se khushi kaise gham kaisi…

From the day I have landed in this city, I started my hunt for a place to stay. Having heard all the horror stories about Noida, doubly cautious and very nervous. Have not ventured out for anything without someone accompanying me. And finally, have somehow got familiar with the route to work place and guest house.

To my luck have a colleague, Manohar Seervi, a Chartered Accountant who has joined HMEL from Reliance and is also staying at the guest house and has explored Noida and seems to know it well and very familiar with the ways and means of commuting in and around the city, as far as Delhi too.

The weekend of February, 05, Saturday I ventured out with this cordial but boring soul. Just to ward off my loneliness of spending a weekend all alone, thinking only about home, husband and kids. Surprising that a person like me with all the time on my hands just don’t feel like fanning the pages of a book to read, (which is very unusual). And only because, miya aur bacchon ki yaad sathaati hain.

This colleague was helpful, managed to show me some places around where I could live. And then we set off to Delhi, my agenda for the day was Qutb Minar and Palika Bazar. I was going home and had to take something home for kids and my dear husband. (so how could I go empty handed).

Noida, I got a real flavor of it. I’m still confused if this is a city or a village. You have no public transport, means of commute is a cycle rickshaw or auto and of course the Delhi Metro Service. Ever heard of a service called “Vikram”? Strange name for a mode of transport, eh?. Well, I realized that it is the 7 seater auto which transports passengers to short distances from some key areas in Noida to the Metro Stations, such as Noida City Center or Atta…”what a name” I said to my colleague when he said, “Vikram se Noida City Center Chalenge, aur phir wahaan se Delhi.” My query, “Why is it called Vikram?”. He said, it was so because of the manufacturing company of the auto…and I chuckled to myself.

We reached Noida City Center and it was my first experience of the Metro Service. I got myself a smart card of INR 150 and when I waited on the platform for the metro rail to arrive was amazed at the way it was managed.  The digital clock showed you exactly the time by which the next train would arrive and it flashed 3 mins. Given the logic of the Indian Standard Time, I just did not think that the train would arrive on time. But, on the dot of three minutes it came to a halt on the platform and I could see folks getting off and getting in a very orderly manner and all this in just about 20 seconds. The next impressive thing for me was the interiors of the Metro Rail, air conditioned, neat and announcements made promptly about the next halt also indicating the direction to alight.

We alighted at the Rajiv Chowk (Connaught Place) station and from there took another “Yellow Line” Metro to Qutb Minar. It took us just about 12 odd minutes and once we got off at the Qutb Minar station we checked with the Customer Care executive on how to reach the monument. He told us that there are a number of autos that would take us there and he would charge Rs 10 per person. So we got into the auto and when we reached the site it was really bustling with tourists, though not very crowded but enough to indicate that it was a Saturday. We purchased the entry fee ticket again just Rs 10 per person. “Amazing” I said to myself, that the entry fee is just nominal.

I was just eager to enter the precincts of the monument. And my first step left me admiring at the structure. The entire complex of the Qutb Minar. It was an amalgamation of architectural style of Hindu temples and the Islamic style. Thoughts fleeting across my mind to say, “surely this is a site that was ravaged by the Muslim rulers and razed to the ground only to build their own symbolic architecture. “ Nevertheless, the monument and its expanse was just marvelous. As I walked across taking a few pictures, rather asking my colleague to take a few pictures with my Blackberry phone (quite embarrassing) but couldn’t help do it as if not I would have no evidence of having visited the site. Every second I missed my husband. The pleasure of visiting a historical site with him and how much we would have shared about the past and recall history of the period kept tormenting me. I decided that I would come back again with him here sometime when he visits Delhi / Noida.

About an hour and a half there that was spent we then moved on back to Rajiv Chowk taking the Metro. And the station was really crowded when we got off at Rajiv Chowk, it was afternoon and a peak hour, with some working folks who had a 6 day week making full use of the Metro. I was real hungry and was looking for something to eat. My next destination of course was Palika Bazar.  And that was just spread out all just outside the Metro station. One fascinating thing about the Delhi culture, people sat all over the place on the pavements, on the traffic islands, outside shops, you just had to name it. And none minded it, no one felt embarrassed, very queer, all kinds of class and creed, none felt belittled or below status doing that. I had a quick bite of a road side burger (Indian made) and some very tangy fresh lime soda, which I loved. And then off I went into the cellar shopping complex of Palika Bazar, a vast expanse for anything and everything. It sure is a shoppers delight. I bought some clothes for hubby and kids and myself too and was totally satisfied with what I bought. By the time I finished doing this it was around 4 pm and I was really tired. So hopped into the Metro once again to get to Noida, Botanical Garden station and the metro was totally packed. So I got no seat and was standing. Reached guest house by 5 pm.

I let this day pass off, killing my thoughts of missing my loved ones, by taking this trip. I appreciate the Indian Government for the wonderful Metro system. And was left with a feeling that we have so many unexplored places in India to visit and a life time is not enough.

Bottom line: A visit to any spectacular place just cannot be memorable if you don’t have your loved ones with whom you can share your feelings. Miss you darling husband and kids.