Last extended weekend was due for a vacation with my wife. We choose to go to Vaishno Devi. We both prepared for a religious tour but it became much more what I expected, a normal life after long long time. Why I am telling this? Because fortunately or unfortunately we live in Gurgaon for last 7-8 years and life in Gurgaon is not normal by any means. Normal day in Gurgaon is went to office and come back. If at all you wish to do something you have only MALLS to roam around and see all the glitters, foreign brands, expensive cloths, all so called hot and happening beauties shopping endlessly or watching movies which cost you more than 1000 bucks just for the movies (I am talking about the normal multiplexes) apart from that if you want to have your dinner you gonna feel that dinner throughout the month. I really wonder what make people buy a pair of shoes which cost around 4000-5000 bucks and cloths. No limit. How many cloths you require to ensure you are looking better than others? Still everybody is buying and they gone crazy when they see the board SALE in front of the SHOP. God Bless them.
Last Friday night we board Jammu Rajdhani from New Delhi station and reached Jammu station at round 0700 in the morning. Deliberately we booked a deluxe bus (which not at all deluxe) for Rs.63 and the destination was Katra. No A/c and in the back sit can feel the pain in the ass when the bus go through a rough road. Which took me to my good old stories before I came to Gurgaon? I was in Calcutta (Now Kolkata) worked in a Leather garments manufacturer firm with a little salary which I do not want to disclose now I used to travel in Auto and public bus and everyday it goes through the road which can easily take out all your lunch and breakfast without any hassle as the smell because of leather garments factories. Still I never ever had any reaction in my face probably because I was used to it. The co passenger in the bus profusely smoking bidi and his/her cloths not so called branded as they work in those factories and the amount of money they earned by which only household essentials can be bought. But surprisingly everybody has smiling. In fact the story is same with me as well. But now, I drive my car everyday (alone) with perfumes in my shirt and in my car, still I forgot to smile. Why? I should have lough out loud. Do I have any answer?
Reached Katra at around quarter to 10 and started to walk straight away and reached "Bhawan" at around 1730 and pay homage and request and beg Almighty for more and more prosperity of mine and my family. Again we started walking towards Katra and reached there at 0300 hrs in the morning. Last couple of hours we were in pain. Anyways came back to katra and asked Auto driver to get a hotel for us but unfortunately we didn't found anyone. At least 1500 people are sleeping at the bus stand. But somehow we managed a hotel which is very upmarket and we have no other choice except staying in that hotel just for 9 hours. Got a nice warm bath and passed out. I got up early and asked in the reception if the breakfast included in the tariff, the front desk lady looked at me and told yes sir it is. I had a double continental breakfast because to cover up somewhat the money I paid for the room if I can save something by skipping my lunch. We checked out from the hotel preciously at 1200 in the noon just to make sure if I late by a minute they could have ask for extra.
Now we are off to Jammu but it was complete road block, people are walking. It was way too hot. We reached Jammu station at around 0300 o'clock and our train was still good 4 and half hours to left. We search for a waiting room and got 1 which suppose to allocate for Rajdhani passengers but who cares. So many people are coming in and out. There were no chairs available but they don't bother about anything, they just sit at the corner at the bunk anywhere with kids and family with smile and kids are playing there. I put my iPod but I was looking at them, I was looking at the real India which we usually not able to see in Gurgaon. People in Gurgaon and like Gurgaon has Malls, Multiplexes, Branded dress material, dine out with loved ones, discotheque and here people have just a corner to sit and probably wait like me to catch a sleeper class train to go there home sweet home. Despite all these odds all these hassles they were happy which I can sense though there gestures. I was smiling, not to see them, I was smiling at me, smiling at the life style we lead in Gurgaon or so called NCR. Just looking at them, their activity 4 hours just passed. I was somehow happy to be in a normal life for couple of days at least which I belong to, which I spend most of my life and so billions of people leading the same life every single day apart from couple of so called upmarket, rich, brand, disco savvy people. We came back to the platform and feeling hungry as the double breakfast already digested. I saw a railway canteen where I got 4 poories and sabzi just for Rs.20 and I ate that with so many questions in my mind even if Rs.20 for a meal sounds so so cheap to me compare to Delhi Gurgaon standard but there are people in my country probably do not have that much also to feed their kids as they never think about their hunger. We get into Rajdhani and my weekend trip completed. Tomorrow, 15th August. Independence Day, we are all independent but I was so so scared to go back to my "normal" lifestyle in Gurgaon which I think "abnormal" by all means.
I seriously feel to go back that normal life which I belong to, which I relate to, where I grow up, where I learn, where I laugh everyday every second of my life. I really miss life big time. GOD please save me.
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