Monsoons in Delhi & Bhakarwadi

 For me, monsoons in Delhi have always been the most unexpected and uncalled for thing. It's pretty different from what it feels like back in my hometown. The rain drops are big, they hit the ground with a bang. But you won't get as wet if you manage to shelter yourself under a tree. And then they come in the most unexpected times, with a splash of unadulterated innocence, and some treachery in mind.

I was once stuck under the generous pishtaq of the Bua Halima's gateway, along with several other tourists doing "Dilli-Darshan", amidst terrible rainfall. Again, a bout of bad rain invited me the moment I entered into the Red Fort compound, running to reach the Meena Bazar's roofed shelter. I was coming back from Tughlaqabad, after a day of tiring fieldwork under the harrowing sun, only to be welcomed by the unwelcoming rain, the moment I stepped out of the metro station into the Vishwavidyalaya Metro Station! And I never carried an umbrella in all of these, after an unpleasant tiff once with the airport security-person, having great time commenting on my rust-stained umbrella!

And then there was this day! When I braved the rain to get my packet of--guess what--Bhakarwadi!!

Bhakarwadi, for those who haven't frequented Haldirams and "Nine-Eleven" with me, is a Maharashtrian sweet and spicy snack! It's like Delhi itself! While the city opens up to you in layers, each layer offers a different flavour, sweet and spicy!!

Bhakarwadis are the absolute saviours, trust me! If you are struggling to finish your assignment or meet some deadline, and have just a night left to get to work, grab a handful of Bhakarwadis. Munch it and see the magic! It does wonders,  as good as a packet of "Hide and Seek" or even Chocosticks, at an ungodly midnight hour!!

That day, I knew it was going to rain terribly bad. I had my umbrella this time. I knew the very bad trenches along the road to Kamla Nagar, into which one of my friends once fell headlong. I knew all the dangers. But the stakes were high! A packet of Bhakarwadis was all that was calling me. So I set off. My college authorities had very generously closed the main gate then, so I took the other way round. And it started raining. I took out my umbrella and held it high. I struggled to keep it in shape, for the rains splashed and pounded upon the poor thing! I was half-way my destination, yet determined to reach the nearest Haldiram's outlet. Nothing could stop me then. My Bhakarwadis were calling me, like some old Delhi charm of the djinns. Eventually I managed,crossing quite a few miles of incessant rain and carelessly dug-up muddy roads. I crossed the road to reach the glittering Haldiram's outlet.

Guess what's next! As we know, Delhi's monsoons never cease to surprise you. Thus, the moment I shut down my umbrella, standing under the 'AAP Sarkar Poster" and Haldiram's gate, the rains stopped. As suddenly as it had begun! It didn't take a minute to gather momentum , and now even to lose it. Well, that didn't matter much to me now! My much-deserved Bhakarwadis were waiting for me in a purple coloured packet inside. And probably some brownies too!! Extremely unhealthy stuff , but never mind! It feeds your soul.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Road to Triveni: Memories in September

  The road to Triveni is not one I would have normally taken. But there was some magic in that moment, in that month, and in my company. It was then that I was really walking into uncharted territories, and boating through previously "untasted" waters. But I had two lovely friends, who made it all the more enjoyable. Probably the most memorable afternoon, last September.  Why do I demarcate and designate this one afternoon as separate from every other warm and sunny (read, even scorching hot) afternoons that I have spent walking alone in the Central Secretariat? Every other time, It is a personal delight for me to get down the metro, come out of the wrong gate, gaze for a while or two at the roadside dargah , and then taking a walk to my second home at Delhi, the National Museum (you never knew I am so weird, right?) These are things I have never shared with many people. But this afternoon was different. I had two dear friends; we had taken a cab (sometimes, spoilt brats...
Read more

Glassful of Emotions: Mohabbat ka Sharbat, or Sharbat-i-Mohabbat

 I do not quite remember where and when I first came across this wonderful beverage in Delhi. I think a professor of mine had shared a Whatsapp story, offering a treat with a glassful of Sharbat-i-Mohabbat . But minutes later, she had to delete that story, flooded as she was with hundreds of eager responses. It's actually quite an unresistable thing. And it's very difficult to shie away from not having an extra glass of this heavenly beverage. But back then, I just knew it's name. I hadn't tasted it yet. I had to wait for almost another year. Summer came to Delhi. Not the terribly dry, grizzly heat of May-June, but the more humid summer, interspersed with showers, that comes in August and September. That was a day in August, and I was with my friend in Chandni-Chowk . The last time when I had ventured into Chandni-Chowk , I had almost lost my way in Sadr Bazar . I remember walking through Gubbare-walein gali and almost realizing that this is the end of the world! I a...
Read more