Charnock versus Lutyens

As the lights changed and drivers in waiting vehicles blasted their horns, the fighters quickly unlocked themselves and jumped into their respective vehicles, hurling death threats at each other. The traffic flowed on.

In Calcutta, similar sights are a dime a dozen. But there is one difference. The fight would have gone on, with the combatants just moving on to the kerb along with their vehicles. I realised then that in Delhi traffic flows, while in Calcutta traffic follows — the drivers’ whimsy.

A few days later a fire broke out where I stay — a hostel for bachelors. A flame the size of a soapbox flared up at the junction of several entangled wires. All the wires hung right outside the balcony near my room and I reckoned that if it spread, my room too could go up in smoke. So I snatched up my suitcase and dashed outside in my shorts and T-shirt. For a few panicky moments I actually missed Calcutta. In Calcutta, there would be no fire because there would be no power.

Then somebody had a brainwave — an artificial powercut was induced. All lights, fans and coolers were switched off. The flame, however, refused to die down. Lots of red earth — from a nearby construction site — was rained down on it. By then the transformer had gone bust and the fire with it.

Much later, the neighbourhood cop strode in with stengun clutched to his stomach. He asked me sternly,‘‘Kya hua? (what happened)’’ My friend cracked up at this,‘‘He looks as if he has come to arrest the fire,’’ he laughed. In Calcutta, they might have done it with lathis. The constable then shone a torch at the lamp post and decided the culprit had best be left to the mercies of the forensic experts — the electricity board, in this case.

The experts said it would take an hour to restore the power. And it was restored. This was distinct departure from Calcutta. There, the lights wouldn’t have come back for another 12 hours at least.

Moral of the story: Delhi is the seat of power; Calcutta, the seat of power cuts.