This Frost doesn't bite ;)

Living in a city that is not often considered a writer’s dream is something that I have secretly admired. That is because I feel unlike what many see, there’s so much to Delhi. As much as I love writing...I love the city. It’s a pity that not many see what I can in a city I call home.

In this hustle bustle, it’s a fact that I still love the city so much that it makes me wonder why having spent all my life here there’s not once I’ve thought of leaving it.

In the late 80s when I was barely 4 or 5 I remember detesting summers... when I’d have to leave the city to visit my granny’s place .As much as I loved my beautiful grandmother  the separation from my city was  painful. I remember waiting for the last week of June to rush back to Delhi.

The whole sight of my train stopping at the noisy Delhi junction ...and my dad stepping in to take me in his arms were one that I rehearsed many a times in my head from many days before.

We often associate places with people .Yes, that’s true in my case too .But Delhi was not just about people for me. It was my small little world of experiences. A city which although had reasons to be hated... I had simply grown to love 

And the one thing that I have absolutely loved about are ... it’s WINTERS !!

                                                 

  To me winters in Delhi mean:

 Roadside ‘chai’...in tiny little cups of plastic or earthen pots, of which the sugar and taste may vary in different parts of the city... but the feel ...NEVER .

Bargained and Oh! So cheap winter wear:

 Ones, that no mall can offer. Where else can you purchase an Abercrombie and Fitch or American Eagle sweater...in a mere 100 bucks?? Ones,  that may last just one winter of usage ... but many in memory.

Winters also bring along certain numbness, silence to the city. As if for once it quiet and listening . Maybe because everyone’s in their homes, in their quilts, too lazy to get out and fight .Unlike other parts of the country u can say Delhi likes to take it easy... relish its winters. There is absolutely no rush!

Also there’s a certain ambiguity to the city during these few months ...thanks to the FOG that engulfs it. A fresh change, as most of the peering eyes can’t reach you. The visibility is so low that it gives you a sense of privacy, a sense of freedom.

Colours...

 While most of the world chooses black, white and grey as its winter shades. Delhi goes a bright RED.  Thanks to the never-ending weddings in the city. You may eat junk, dress in minimalistic clothes ...dance to the most jarring music in the world (thanks to the screechy, hysterical Punjabi numbers by unbearably tasteless DJs)...but still this is the where most of the city lets its hair down, this is where the city has fun

But above all winters are a set of memories for me.

Waiting in the blinding cold for the school bus .

Finding it hard to write exams ...thanks to my frozen fingers.

Feeling the dew on the grass in spite of wearing shoes...and sometimes slipping on it.

Counting hailstorms as the city’s substitute for snowfall.

Feeling the cold winds of snow that maybe melting miles away in the Himalayas.

Driving the car on a road with almost zero visibility without any fear ,just a smile on the face and a feel of walking in the clouds.

Snatching a friend’s gloves and then keeping just one, while giving the other back

Eating Delhi’s Oriental take in the junk food section...MOMOS... or munching peanuts with a tiny cup of tea/coffee first with friends and then with the one you love.

 Daring to take an auto-rickshaw ride ...exposing yourself to the harshest of drivers and winds in the chilly weather...

These and many more ...I would like to confess that no winters in the world would compare these for me.

P.S. This is a dedication in a year when winters have visited the city in their true fervour.

 Even in this ever- evolving and changing city of mine...I am glad at least there’s one thing that isn’t changing. And I continue to love and cherish it

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