Dilli Meri Jaan! Masha'Allah!

I've never quite had so much of difficulty writing anything, as I am having in writing this entry (suddenly cover letters seem like a cakewalk). And I would have most certainly given up on this task (that is seeming so herculean to me) had it not been for the promise I gave to a certain someone, that I would blog about this (you know who you are).

What I am having so much difficult writing about, are the events of the Tuesday gone by. And what about this days makes it so difficult to put pen to paper (fingers to keyboard?) is how incredibly amazing and magical it was; The kind of experience that leaves u finding your vocabulary lacking. Magical because it was on that day I looked around Old Delhi and went touristing to some of the places that delhi is so visited for, for the first time. And it is simply breathtaking! (almost makes me want to become a photographer, it's that inspiring!). Of course, the company I had on this sojourn added to the awesome-ness of it all. I went with S who had come down to Delhi for just a day and without whom this day would have almost not happened
(S: I am thinking, since I do have a whole day here, why not we go touristing around delhi?
Me: God Bless u! Allah be praised! Yes please, Lets!)

And so it began, with us travelling in an Auto (yup, the very infamous dilliwala-agree-on-price-before-u get-on-n-get-all-ur-bones-rattled Auto rikshaw!) to Humayun's tomb, followed by a search for the elusive and almost-fabled karim's around Chandni Chowk (we walked the lane outside it almost twice before we saw spotted the nondescript galli leading to the restaurant), a quick look around the majestic Jama Masjid (where S had to slip into a lungi-ish thing since he was wearing long shorts-they prolly din want to risk anyone inside getting excited seeing his tandoori (not!) legs :-P) and ending with a tour around the very red- Red Fort (which we left sort of unfinished given that we were sweaty, tired and incredibly thirsty).

But rather than chronicle that day in detail and run the risk of diminishing any of the magic I experienced then, I would rather write about what stands out in this head of mine.

~ Looking around at Humayun's tomb, one level high and seeing only the tomb and a multitude of tree tops all around- Solitude of the highest order!

~S telling the auto-wala outside humayun's tomb that I talk sweetly causing me to blush all over (hoping secretly that he would just mistake it for me being flushed coz of the heat)

~Getting S to buy into the idea of eating at karim's by telling him about it in the most glowing light. And then on seeing the increasing seediness of the chandni chowk area, feeling sheepish and a tinge of panic.

~Karim's food. Period. (no words would do it justice, so why bother!)

~Stepping into Jamamasjid-a most humbling experience!(though all the junta just lying and sleeping around in it like buffalows wallowing in a pond, was a bit putting off)

~S figuring out how to untie and re-tie his slipping lungi at Jama masjid.

~Walking casually out barefoot onto a stretch of floor at Jama Masjid, encouraging S to follow suit and then, on realising how god-damn-hot it was, hopping/running (it was quite comical, in retrospect) the rest of the way to the mat.

~Laughing in relief right afterwards!

~Asking a cute lil boy (at Jama Masjid) clutching a bottle of rail-neer (who was looking at me and my camera with the most intrigued expression) if he wanted his snap clicked and seeing the look of confused surprise followed by undiluted happiness on his face when he saw his picture on my camera.

~Going through the Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk area on a cycle rickshaw (despite the look of seediness, it is really quaint and beautiful in its own way) and feeling sorry for the rickshaw-wala (I had moments when I wanted to step down and tell him that I would just walk alongside)

~My first glimpse of the Red Fort- Never realised how incredibly red it is (Duh!) and how never-ending it's walls look.

~The woman at the body-check area at the entrance to Red-Fort, looking at me and exclaiming (while laughing) "Aapke baal to ekdum..." (my response: "heh, Bas aise hi hain.")

~After an incredibly hot, tiring and sweaty round of the Red fort, getting back to the comfort of the AC in my room (what can I say, I am pampered!)

~Calling S a 'saala amreeki' and seeing the look right afterwards on his face!heh!

All in all, it was the Baap of all my experiences in the last 4 months. And while I know I have only scratched the surface of all that is Delhi, I am happy to have seen even this much! =)

currently reading: In Xanadu- William Dalrymple

currently listening: Mahiya- Awarapan, Evergreen- Cliff Richards, Far away- Nickleback