Shopping With Women

Last month, I went to shopping with mummy and Maria, my cousins. I was accompanying them to pay for their shopping and carry their stuff. I had no idea about women stuff so I had nothing to say, I only observed. I found their shopping very different from the way men shop and it was also funny.

It's not just women who make strange faces, doesn't get impressed easily and simply walk away before listening anything if they doesn't like the stuff, even the shopkeepers behave differently with women customers. They make sure to use an adjective with everything they show. They use finest, exclusive, behetreen, umda, different, latest and best, interchangeably with everything they show to customers.

At one shop, the shopkeeper said, "Baaji it is something really exclusive, it's imported stuff. It is the best item in my shop". It looked nice to me. Mummy and my sis did not even cared to look at that. While he was giving speech in praise of his stuff. They turned around and pointed at something else, "Do you have any other color in that design?"
I felt that was the worst response to someone who is showing you something with such enthusiasm. Just to keep the shopkeeper's heart I nodded and touched that cloth to unsuccessfully feel the fabric. But I observed he was not offended at all. He behaved as if it's a routine, he showed them other stuff with equal interest and enthusiasm.

Another lesson I learnt was that we men should never argue about colors with women if we don't want to get embarrassed. The color we call red is not red. Actually when you are with women do not call anything red, green or purple. Its not that simple. You better ask them because its definitely going to be some other color. Or probably learn the below chart if you really want to discuss colors with women.

How women and men see colors.

After checking out more than two dozen suits women simply get out of a shop and walk away without any guilt or sympathy for the shopkeeper. If they decide to be very humble they sometimes add, "pasand nahi aaya" before walking away. At times I used to whisper "thank you" to the shopkeeper while leaving. However, I observed they don't expect any courtesy. Rather, they always behave nicely and show as much variety as they can to women customers. They know a woman will never buy stuff from same shop again and again. If they want to buy three suits they will pick them from three different shops. So behaving nicely will give them a chance in future.

Voted for Identity

It is not very normal for me to get up early on a holiday. Still, I decided to get up early to cast my vote before its too hot and crowded outside. It looked like a normal morning in Zakir Nagar with minimal traffic. It was after reaching Batla House Chowk, I observed something different. There were more than a dozen Policemen, two of them on Horses. Road was blocked for vehicles from one side to allow only pedestrians. Few people were sitting on a chair-table in a corner and were browsing through sheets of paper. I moved on towards Jamia School, my polling booth.

The whole School campus was full of security personnel. The buildings, walkways and atmosphere inside the School felt very familiar. Within seconds I went down the memory lane and imagined younger version of myself looking at me from one of the classrooms on the top floor. "It is my school", I thought and smiled. The Good old days. I spent four most memorable years of my life in that campus.

My Electoral Stain / Voter mark

Although I am yet to receive my Voter's Id card, my name was there in the list. After several levels of verification, I was inked and allowed to vote. I pressed a button, a red LED blinked with a sound. And the woman, who inked me, confirmed that my vote was successful. I thanked her, smiled and left with a sense of achievement.

The place was't very crowded. I found more women than men at the polling booth. Even while returning I observed women coming in groups or with their husbands. They all looked more excited than men. When I came out one man, while starting his scooter, said to another man sitting on his bike, "Umeed hai is baar kuch to Gandgi kam hogi", and smiled. The other person nodded. It was clear that he voted for a clean system.

I voted for identity and self respect. I hope well deserving and responsible people come to power. And I am so glad that this election season is over.

I live in Jamia Nagar and I am not a terrorist

Its not very often that you read about your locality in a national newspaper unless you live near 10 Janpath. It wasn't about a minister's well publicized visit or an advertisement about a new Mughlai restaurant. Not even just any negative news about petty crimes. What attracted me today was a statement from a veteran leader belonging to a national party, claiming our locality is a terrorist's hub. "Jamia Nagar is a safe house for terrorists", he claimed.

This election season all politicians in India have made all sort of allegations against each other. But Mr Malhotra went a step ahead and blamed a whole community for terrorist activities. Such irresponsible and baseless statement in order to polarize voters on communal lines will only harm his party.

I was shocked to read that such a senior leader thinks like that. Claiming someone to be a terrorist is not a small allegation. This is complete "Identity Crisis" for us, in our own country. Such inflammatory remarks can create social unrest. A criminal case should be registered against him.

This Election season, for most people, it is so simple to choose anybody considering the issues like Development. It is we who also have to face and prove many other things.

Now, you can imagine what made me write this sher in my Ghazal:

Naujavaan hun mujhko behka do, ya dehshatgard keh ke phansa do.
Ilzaam koi sangeen lagao, be-gunaahi ke saboot bhi mita do.

Meri kamzooriyan maloom karo, aur unhi pe mujhko aazma lo.
Sitam se sar na jhukega mera, Zillat se mujhko hara do.

References:

• http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Jamia-Nagar-Batla-House-terrorist-hub-V-K-Malhotra/articleshow/32685459.cms
• http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/congress-aap-slam-malhotra-remarks/

My Voters ID and "Neeche ki Biryani"

Saturday, 28th September:

I got up at 11:40. It took me about 10 minutes booting my brain. The first priority task I found in my memory was getting registered for Voters ID. I took 20 more minutes to clean myself and boarded a rickshaw which got stuck in heavy traffic jam near Batla House Kabristan. I had to cover rest of the distance till Okhla Head walking zig-zag, making my way jumping two wheelers stuck in traffic. I walked in sun on such a hot and humid day first time this year. I kept moving with my nose and mouth covered with handkerchief observing irritated people sitting in their cars and rickshaws, stuck in traffic. After walking about 500 meters I reached the Voter Center.

The place was crowded with men and women of all ages. About 12-15 people queued outside the window where a middle aged men wearing spectacles on the tip of his nose was accepting forms and shouting irritably on people with mistakes in their forms. Some people came only to inquire about their voters ID cards. They were all frustrated and angry about delay. Few of them started shouting and even abusing all government employees. Everybody is aware of irresponsible and unprofessional behavior of government employees. But I observed even people whom they deal with are not that innocent.

I went to the window and asked for a blank form, took it and found a bench under a tree where some others were also filling the form. Suddenly the crowd near the window dispersed. The guy next to me informed "Its their lunch time". The thought of lunch made me also feel hungry. I fetched some more data from memory and found that I am surviving on last night's dinner. By the time I filled the form my brain started receiving interrupts from my stomach. In a few minutes my brain had to prioritize them.

As obvious, brain assigned topmost priority to filling stomach and I found myself moving towards gate. I moved slowly while searching my memory for a decent place to eat nearby. The choice was a biryani point at Okhla Head. It took me five minutes to reach there and another two to find a place to sit. The quality looked good so I ordered a bigger plate which contains about 1/2 Kg of biryani.

That shop is a newly opened branch of Salman's Biryani which is famous in Batla House. The guy who took order did not behave as if he is doing a favor. Maybe because its a newly opened shop. A group of three people came and ordered Biryani with leg piece. And the guy at counter made sure they were served what they want. Even my plate had a leg piece but I never order it specifically. However I made sure my plate is served with no chutney and extra raita, in case Biryani is too spicy raita makes it better for me.

Another guy walked in and ordered "Neeche ki Biryani". I was surprised by his order. I traversed back my memory and found that my father once told me that when he was young "Neeche ki Biryani" was preferred and considered good. But in todays health cautious world I found this young guy's order strange. Actually “Neeche ki Biryani" is the Biryani near the base of degh. Its most oily part of whole degh. In my Grandfather's generation day to day activities required lots of physical work. So maybe people at that time preferred stuff with lots of fat. I was too busy engulfing my Biryani, one spoonful after other, to turn my head and judge him for his strange choice. Maybe he was too thin and required some fat or maybe it was about taste.

After having Biryani getting registered for Voters ID again became 1^st priority. I went to the office and submitted my form. After half an hour I was on my bed. And within next few seconds weekend celebration begun in my dreams.

Romance and Realizations

After this long and tiring week, tonight I watched Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. The movie I once watched in childhood and later kept watching it in parts on TV. Everybody knows it was a blockbuster, but I felt this today after facing the magic of this movie. I think this is my age when I could give value to every scene. It really is one of the most romantic movies. Which makes me realize that there is right time and age for everything. I did not liked DDLJ in childhood that much. But its really awesome.

A Scene from DDLJ

And, Its so hot outside that you cannot think of going out on weekends in Delhi now a days. This makes it best time to watch movies at home. After spending whole week in highly Air Controlled environment in Office it is more difficult to face heat now. You can imagine how people cannot live without things which are considered luxury in society. This is one of the ways to make people slave. 

This is the end of this weekend's realizations. And the search for "Mere Khaboon Me Jo Aaaye.." begins.

Turning into James Bond

My every morning begins with a chase. I chase a 15 seater Tempo Traveller, picking up corporate slaves across South Delhi. This vehicle reaches Batla House Bus Stop at exact 7:55 AM. Even I reach the place at the same time. And sometimes a few seconds late. I am supposed to board that Tempo along with few others at the Bus Stop to reach office.

I leave my apartment at exact 7:50 AM. Five minutes is just enough time to reach Batla House Bus Stop from Zakir Nagar by a rickshaw. The time is so idealistic that if rickshaw-wala is lazy(or Old) or there is traffic its sure that I will miss the tempo by a few seconds. Then I have to hire an auto-rickshaw or board a Red DTC bus if its there in the vicinity at that point in time. And the chase begins. I have to reach Kalindi Kunj before the Tempo via another short route. This way I have my share of morning adventure. Nothing is more refreshing than reaching that point and catching the Tempo. This becomes my first achievement everyday.

I run like Bond but I don't look like him. He is too old.

My list of similarities with James Bond:

• Like all Bond movies my day begins with a chase.
• I am dressed in complete formals.
• Like Bond, I have to answer my Lady Boss if I fail.
• I am working for a big organization which operates across the globe.
• I am connected with others who tell me the location(of Tempo) via my Sony phone. :)
• I use multiple transports while chasing. (Rickshaw, Auto-Rickshaw, Bus and sometimes I run too)

Although I can rephrase it in many ways but being late is a bad habit. And I am doing this since college days. Many times I missed attendance and good grades coz of being late(there is always something to blame for bad grades). However, college is not just about attendance and grades. Vaise bhi "Old habits and bad habits die hard".

No Place to Die Peacefully

Death sounds like the end of everything. All thoughts, aspirations, feelings everything. But there is one thing you should not expect even after death. Peace. Especially if you have spent all your life in the middle of chaos in a modern Indian city and you die there.

You must have struggled whole life to find a decent place to live. But you will also need a place to get buried. Some space in a nearby graveyard. And if you think you will get that space easily and will sleep there till the Day of Judgement, you are wrong. Even after death you are not supposed to sleep.

If you live in one of many overpopulated localities in Delhi like Jamia Nagar. Let me tell you that there is just one graveyard which is already full. Whenever a new grave is dug now a days, its found to be already occupied by someone else's bones. So people try at some other place and even there they find bones. Then after repeating several times they find a place with no bones or maybe a place with only few bones which they hide in a corner.

Modern expectations after death:

• So even if you find a place near the boundary of the graveyard. Please expect children, from the locality next to the boundary, playing on your grave. And don't think you can scare them by making strange sounds and pretending to be a ghost from inside your grave. Now a days nobody is scared of ghosts. 

• Please expect loud music because humans are also living nearby. And if you want you can go and dance in their functions too. You can easily mix up with ladies with excessive makeup. Just make sure to take a deep bath in mud(to look similar) if you are lying in grave for more than a decade.

• Please do not mind if people dig your grave every few months and hit your old decaying bones with a hoe or shovel. Actually they are just trying to adjust one more person in the graveyard.

• And please do not get annoyed if people slowly acquire the graveyard land illegally and build their house on the top of your grave. And even I expect you to repair their sewer pipes if they pass through your grave or they are nearby. Come on! You were human once.

Jamia vs Madras Match

Jamia Millia Islamia played against Madras University at Jamia Sports Complex on 27th February. And very first time after renovation of Sports Complex, Jamia students got a chance to watch a National Match which is broadcasting live on TV. Jamia has earlier hosted many Ranji Trophy matches and even Women's World Cup.

Union External Affairs Minister, Salman khurshid and Jamia VC, Najeeb Jung at the match.

Jamia Team worn green dress and Madras team was in blue. It looked as if India is playing against Pakistan. The difference was everybody supported the same team that day. Actually, In Jamia Pakistani and Indian supporters are almost equal in number. Even sometimes I feel Pakistani supporters are higher in number or maybe they are more passionate than Indian supporters. So, there is always a chance of clash. Keeping this in mind the University Administration always deploys Jamia Bulls(security guards) at hostel common rooms.

Supporter on a Tree

The stadium got fully packed even before the match begun. Hundreds of students came to cheer for their own team. Girls turned up in unexpectedly high numbers. There was separate seating space for girls. They shouted even louder than boys whenever Jamia team took wickets in last overs. Many girls got inked in green color for supporting their team. Even some of them shook a leg on their favorite song.

The entry was closed within an hour after the match begun. But as always Jamia students found a back door to enter in the event. One guy climbed a tree to support Jamia. Students had a hot exchange with security over entry inside the pavilion.

About 20 students gathered near the gate.

"Ander aake kya karoge? Wahin raho", argued the guard at the gate when students asked him to open it.

"Yahan khade hain. Ander baith kar match dekhenge. Plz open this gate", replied a student.

"Ye match dekhne ki jagah nahi hai. Chalo peeche hato yahan se.", guard shouted angrily.

"Mujhe pata hai ye Hospital Emergency Ward hai. Aur me Doctor hun. Ab to khol de gate", said a student sarcastically. 

Everybody around laughed.

"Aur ye peeche mere saath nurse bhi hain", added another student.

"Aur mujhe heart attach aa rha hai", added someone else. 

People laughed gain.

University Administration put this banner outside the venue. I think it was for controlling the crowd.

Jamia won and everyone shouted all the way till the last ball of the match. This was an easy win for Jamia. In typical Jamia Language, "Halwa match tha. Agar hamari team bayein haath se khelti to bhi jeet jaati". :) 

Why Momos?

My first problem is with the name "momo". Can't you find a decent name for a snack? It sounds more like a relative than food item in India much like "Mama" or "Dada". The more I hate momos the more I  see them everyday. Few years ago no one had heard about this thing. Somehow it got introduced and Indians are so fond of street food that they can eat anything in the name of street food.

Momo is nothing but boiled dough(aata) filled with an uncooked piece of chicken or vegetables. Yes, boiled chicken is uncooked. When I can have a hundred varieties of chicken and chat in Delhi why on earth should I eat an uncooked momo? "U find it tasty when you are damn hungry" said a friend. Come on, you find everything tasty when you are hungry.

Why not Indians cook it themselves and modify? I could not believe my eyes when I saw someone selling momos in Old Delhi near Jama Masjid. Old Delhi is the heaven of Mughlai. You can find best non-vegetarian street food near Jama Masjid, still someone sells chicken momos next to kebabs there. Similarly in Batla House and Jamia Engineering Faculty canteen momos are now available. At least they should not sell it next to most delicious snacks.

Can Momos be really compared to Delhi's Aloo Chaat, Bhalla Papdi, Golgappa, Tikki, Jalebi, Shawarma, Kebabs, Pakoras or Samosa?

Best Food in Delhi

Jamia Nagar in South Delhi is a student's hub. Many students live in Batla House and Zakir Nagar as paying guests. There exist many food joints and restaurants which serve good quality inexpensive food. There are so many options that for weeks you can eat different dishes at different places everyday.

Undoubtedly, Jamia Nagar serves one of the best non-vegetarian food in Delhi. Every restaurant here have a specialty. This specialty is known to people who eat in Zakir Nagar/Batla House regularly. So, for best version of a specific dish you should go to a particular place. Here people like me doesn't go to a restaurant, look at menu and decide what to eat. Rather we first decide what to eat then accordingly go to a restaurant. Below is a list of some popular dishes and restaurants which specialize in them:

• Chicken Biryani-  Gulavati, Salman Bhai
• Beef Biryani-  Salman Bhai, Gulavati
• Nihari-  Javed Nihari, Madina Nihari
• Paya-   Madina Nihari
• Beef Kebabs-  Famous Restaurant ,Galavati Kebabs
• Kebab Paratha-  Bismillah, Galavati Kebabs
• Chicken Fry-  Gul Bahar Chicken point
• Chicken Roasted-  Al- Nawaz , Al-Umar
• Chicken Qorma-  Moonis Qada
• Chicken Changezi-  Saquib Chicken Point,Meher, Darbaar
• Mutton Qorma-  Moonis Qada, Al-Umar
• Butter Chicken-  Ahad
• Chicken Achari-  Meer
• Qeema-  Moonis Qada 
• Maghaz/Bheja-  Madina Nihari
• Dal Makhni-  Al-Umar
• Matar Paneer-  Moonis Qada
• Shahi Tukda- Zakir Nagar Masjid

P.S. : There are many more delicious dishes and restaurants in the locality. This is the list of stuff that are making me fat. Try at your own risk.

Batla House - Three days after Eid.

Three days have passed after Eid. The holy month of Ramadan is over. The atmosphere in Batla House in New Delhi is very different. Not just different form Ramadan but also from normal days. Batla house is home to a lot of students and people from nearby states, especially UP and Bihar, who visit their hometowns for celebrating Eid. I know people who visit their hometowns only once a year with whole family. And that time of year is now.

Even I am back so early first time. Like others, even I preferred to join college on the first Monday after Eid. But now I work and holidays in Corporate world are very limited. So, I had to return early this time.

The silence in Batla House and Zakir Nagar is really strange. The streets here are known to be crowded whole year. Even on chilly winter nights one can find people around. Today, I wanted to have my favourite Al-Umar's 'Dal Makhni' for dinner. But to my surprise Al-Umar(the restaurant) was closed. I couldn't find  any other good restaurant open. So, had to manage with Famous's "Qeema". But to my delight "Aggarwal Sweets" was open. I went there and fed myself few pieces of 'Qalaqand'.

Its hard to imagine Batla House free of traffic chaos in evening. I really miss:

• Bikers who perform stunts in the middle of traffic jam.
• Aunties, who shop whole year with complete family.
• Bearded uncles running for namaz.
• Aroma of frying chicken.
• Fights between car-walas and rickshaw-walas.
• Beggars, who occupy both sides of road and leave no room to walk.
• Students, carrying bags full of books on their shoulders and dreams in their eyes.

At Zakir Nagar in the Middle of a Night.

At 1 am, Zakir Nagar in South Delhi is one of the few places where you can find some delicious stuff to eat.
In college days my friends and I usually used to climb the Jamia Hostel wall to come here in search of food. Now a days I am living in Zakir Nagar and last weekend again I was feeling hungry in the middle of night. So I went out in search of something I can eat.

When people must have slept in most of Delhi's residential areas. This muslim neighbourhood in South Delhi was still serving some delicious stuff. At 1 am in the night lot of activities were going on. Galavati Kebab, the shop,  was spreading the smell of frying meat. And serving customers with mouth watering kebabs, parathas and chicken keema. Rotiwalas had extinguished the fire in their underground ovens and were listening to old melodies on FM. Pehelvan, that fat old  man, was counting money as his son prepared fresh creamy lassi for customers. Muradabadi biryani was almost finish still I managed to have some with lot of oil perforated in the base of degh. Roadside Juicewala was also feeling sleepy. Still he humbly asked "aur ??", after I have consumed a glass full of natural fruit juice. I said "no" however if you say "yes". He again half fills your glass with fresh juice.

The two dudes at Blenders, the shake parlour, were listening to sad songs as they sold their refreshing fruit shakes. The street dogs also had enough and captured their favourite places to sleep. Some of them even prefered to sleep in the middle of road. 

My First Dish

Today, I tried my hands on cooking first time in my life. The combination of  boring weekend, maid's absence, laziness and 'long time desire to experiment with cooking' forced me to cook something more than an omelet for myself. Laziness, because I always had an option to go out n eat in a restaurant but I was feeling too lazy to go out. So I searched on Google and found an easy recipe. The dish is called "Egg fried rice". I chose it because its really easy to cook and all the ingredients required were available in my kitchen.

Some of the ingredients I used.

I started cooking while listening music. I modified the recipe and also changed the sequence of ingredients to be added. Almost burnt my hand because I lost concentration when one of my favorite tracks started playing. Forgot to put ginger garlic paste and even scratched my face just after cutting chilies. I messed up our whole kitchen. By the time I finished the whole kitchen n room was filled up with smoke because I forgot to turn on the exhaust fan. Still the final result turned out to be reasonably delicious. However I think I can do much better.

Final Dish - Egg Fried Rice

Yes it was a good learning experience and  it made me feel more independent.

One of my friends asked if I am preparing for future i.e life after marriage??
I said "Yes maybe, U never know".! :)

Life Is Good

This year begun with partying with friends in central Delhi. On new year's eve I had some delicious food near Jama Masjid with Khawar, Saquib ,  Farooque , Mudassar and Aleem, my school friends. And later we ended up in NFC's community center where Noor also joined. I bought this new phone "Live with Walkman" next morning. Also watched few movies including latest Mission Impossible and Sherlock Homes in multiplexes which  I might not have done in college life.

New Year's eve in NFC

Vidit, Rajneesh, Farrukh n me in
 Kingdom of Dreams, Gurgaon

       Now as I started earning I feel more independent and free. However now I have to be more responsible. As of now there are no demands from family and there are no boundations but I know there will be some very soon. And more importantly its time to apply what I have learnt throughout in school and college i.e now I am part of society so I should now look after social and environmental problems too. 

       However I was already mentally prepared for this but the biggest question that disturbs me sometimes now a days is "Whats next??". I am thinking about a lot of things and probably I will dedicate my next post to this question. 

       Still as of now every 30th I receive a huge sum of money which is enough for me to do whatever I want.

Yes, by the grace of Almighty life is really good..!! :)

My experience at Commonwealth Volunteer's Training

I was selected to be a volunteer in the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Delhi last month. So i was invited for the training session at the Amity University.

I went there yesterday. To reach there before the reporting time I had to get up at 7 o clock in the morning. If I would have been alone I might have never got up so early during our summer vacations. I haven't got up so early for weeks. But thankfully I had two more friends accompanying me so we left our hostel at around 8.20 AM and reached there at 9 AM. I was excited and happy to be selected. More coz all the people who gave interview were not selected and it includes some of my friends so i can tease them and make them feel jealous. I was thinking that most of the people are selected but I was shocked to know that around 40 lakh people gave interview and only 30 thousand of them are selected or may be they just told us a higher figure to make us feel that we are important.

In the initial phase of selection we were told that we will be paid 1000 rupees daily for volunteering but now the situation has changed and we will not be paid anything. The trainer asked us "Do u know why we are not paying you?" and added after seeing our blank faces, "because you are priceless, and without you commonwealth games are not possible". Yes, it sounds good but couldn't bring the happiness that money can, so they need to make us feel important.
                     
             The trainers were nice, they motivated us, made us learn how to deal with guests and even entertained us . We did many activities which include shouting, forming Mexican wave etc. I believe that all is needed to build the interest and make us feel non sleepy otherwise nobody would have been able to attend the whole session till 6.30 in the evening. We were also served snacks and lunch. Overall, it was organised nicely and we enjoyed it.

           The training gave us a chance to meet new people and make new friends.
And yes this was one of the reason I joined. And obviously there were many beautiful girls. Yes, I met many of them and had a chat with few of them. So the training was complete fun.

           But yes the success of these games is the question of our country's pride so looking forward to give my best and obviously waiting for the next session to meet some new people and make some new friends and to learn some new things.