Hope in the wintertime

The weather was lacklustre and gloomy with hardly any sign of sunshine which we love to loathe in summer but wait patiently for during winter. The capital had recently broken records set 28 years ago with the coldest winter. India8217;s recent Asiad performance seems to have inspired many including the weather.

The idea of mesmerising Wordsworth went up in smoke. Disappointed, I turned my attention to one of those famous8217; parks in the hope of finding some inspiring flowers and hopefully sneaking on some young couple whispering sweet nothings to eachother. What awaited me instead was a heap of garbage strewn all over the place and some discoloured roses striving hard to survive against all odds. And romance brewing in the garden? Well, if you manage to cross the garden without throwing up once, you8217;re lucky.

The next stop in my quest was the market. Maybe the enticingly decorated shop windows would bring out something creative, I hoped, as I trudged along on that wintry morning. But, by the time I braved the smoke-chugging trail of cars and the 8220;dangerously renowned8221; Blueline buses, I was surrounded with cows and buffaloes deserted in the cold by their respectable owners as they were no longer of any use. So much for the moral science lessons learnt in school!

Pangs of hunger drove me to this shabby, run-down dhaba belting out 8217;60s Hindi filmi numbers. As I entered the dhaba, I couldn8217;t help noticing the small boys in tattered shirts running around from one table to the other braving the wrath of the owner with a smile. 8220;Where are the NGOs whichmake tall claims about working against child labour?8221; I wondered as I walked away.

After the failed attempts, I landed in front of a hip8217; cinema hall. I hoped that the brightly coloured youngsters would provide something to write about, and being a movie freak, a chance to watch a movie was always welcome. I weaved through the crowd, snatched a ticket and was almost inside the hall when a stern looking policewoman blocked my way and ordered me to get myself checked. I was flabbergasted! On asking a passerby, I was told, 8220;haven8217;t you seen Dil Se,8221; as if that explained everything. The movie too an English movie dubbed in Hindi left me with no fond memories but a nagging headache. The day was surely taking an unpredictable turn!

It was already getting dark and the fog was setting in. The few birds which I could trace in the sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide laden sky were flying back home. I aborted the efforts for the day and decided to head for the warmth of a heater and hot home-cookedfood. However, deep in my thoughts, I meandered into a lane and found two goons eyeing my purse. I hurried to the nearest bus stop. The bus brimming with people resembled some carnival gone wrong. I closed my eyes and somehow managed to squeeze in. There was no place inside to stand and move around. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a young8217; man vacated his seat for me and even offered to buy me a ticket! 8220;Maybe I was wrong. Maybe there8217;s still hope,8221; I wondered. When I was about to get down, I felt someone pinch my bottom and turned back to see the lecherously grinning face of that same young8217; man who had offered the seat.

And I was looking for hope. High hopes!