Saturday, February 21, 2009

Nostalgia, Coffee and Love..

Winter Chill is all it takes to make me jump out in action. The raised eyebrows of the not so warmly sun catch my eye just every morning, only to make me slip deep each time into the tent of my blanket. Warm soft as silk. This long blanket has been a companion for few years now. Years which have pushed me into the maddening pace of life, pricked me to settle a foot in the most appropriate way and further thrown, pulled and yet again thrown me aside in a corner unnoticed, alone. It has been a pushcart journey on a rickety road..a long road indeed!

Filtered Coffee Mug at ICH

I've been punctual all these years I talk about. Late to sleep and late to rise has been an interesting unstoppable practise which lingers on even now. This isn't just my lazy attitude but a strong rational reason attached. During the day the commotion, the activities of all but me, the colours and not so colours of life have a way to move on without a break. The peace within is lost. Lost until night falls and supper ends. As the tungsten bulbs switch off, my lights turn on. The peace within discovers me at this moment. Not always though.

Barakhamba Road

All these years there has been change all over. Though my evening coffee on a Friday still makes its way almost always. The group meets over a filtered coffee and piles of planning, work and strategy build-up. The Palak Pakoras still have the same taste with Red Tomato sauce at the Indian Coffee House (ICH) in Cannought Place.The roof-top here remains dark during the evening rush hour. The furniture is old, and the walls have lost their charm.

Busy Cannounght Place at Night

That doesn't really deter people from coming here in large groups; young and the old; salesmen or insurance agents; activists or writers all heard along on simple broken wooden chairs. The atmosphere is philosophic and the people are lost into hours of discussions on topics from Politics to new insurance policy in the neighbouring LIC. The arguments followed by counter arguments carry on till late evenings. Nights have changed in the city though. Discs and Pubs are the new elite crowd destinations. 'Times Change' they say. Times have changed sure enough.


The filtered coffee and the love for Palak Pakoras hasn't changed though.

At the Oxford Bookstore in Statesmen House at Barakhamba Road, I walk into thousands of books on parted shelves as I discover a new trendy way of a book bar as one may put it. Bookstore tied up along a 'CHA BAR' for snacks. I gulp down the Sandwich and the chilly coffee as I wonder about my upcoming Friday Coffee at the Indian Coffee House (ICH), a few lanes ahead. The nostalgia over a cup of coffee continues still.. wonder how long this will continue..!

15 comments:

mindatlarge said...

Very well written... especially the first couple of parts.... Keep going !!

Unknown said...

An activist less and a romantic more ......

sugandhi Thusoo said...

Well aditya your new found love for "black & white" is surely amazing :)
Please change you blog pic, its overshadowing the write-up..!

Anil B said...

I always know you would be a jounalist, editor or copywriter or something in the media. You are on the path - a professional beard, good write-ups, youthful activism and energy and now your new found passion - Photography with the SLR...All simply co-relate....
All the best
Anil Bhan

Radhika said...

its a very very cute piece...it makes you smile over the simple filtered coffee and palak pakodas we have on fridays...mundane and routine and yet so symbolic. keep going!

Lalchowk said...

Dear Aditya:
Very well written and visual! Personally it is also very nostalgic, opened flood gates of memories, particularly the scenes from IHC and UtpalJi's photograph! Well done and please keep writing!

Anil said...

30 years from now. My bones so weak to drive for CH on friday. Till then never getting time to be ther on fridays. your Video call comes and invitation to meet you rushes my adrenalin. Just a day before I was in Holy Land and met my grand children who have entered new house at Habbakadal.Want to publish a new writeup on Holy Land. That when we meet agian to celeberate Hyerath doonye with coffee... Get UP Stand up ,, Stand up for your right!!!

nerd2world said...

Aah, the friday cup of coffee and company we all wait for...

Unknown said...

aditya well written.. nostalgia i can easily relate to.. though im not a part of palak pakoras.. bt ya momos outside my coll is no less...the memories still in heart fresh today and would never fade.. gather some more of it.. only few days left.. then a world awiting.. and btw adi i like the zoomed ( or focused) wteva photograph of ur filtered cup..

sha said...

..an evocative peice.... makes very nostalgic about Delhi...!! there is something about delhi..and delhi winters.. the flavour...which just evokes a thousand emotions..Love just being one of them

Lalchowk said...

Talking about Dilli (I still prefer to call it that!), it has something special about it - the SouthEx, ChandniChowk, KarolBagh, GK, SarojniNagar, INA, DilliHaat, CP, Palika ..........each and every part has something special - its sights, sounds and even smells are special! Thanks Aditya for refreshing my memories which took me down the memory lane.....let me stay in this lane for a while..........

NItesh Bhat said...

Well Aditya...

Good written verses....watching u as a gr8 EDITOR IN CHIEF in future... :)..Keep going..

Anonymous said...

Nice.........

Yayaver said...

got the link of post through orkut, a warmth with nostalgia of memories was there in the words.A very well written content with stunning snaps is treat in Blogland.keep it up...

geetika said...

gosh boy...i always knew u had a writer in u..but this is simply
phenomenol...written like a pro...n lemme tell u sounding much better
than recently discarded adiga by me...such a bore he is
the way to go
u made my day
god bless
love
geetika