Party Poopers

A few months ago, when Gitanjali Kashyap wanted to celebrate her daughter8217;s fifth birthday, she didn8217;t lose sleep about the location.

In the shadow of terror, even planning a bash for children has become a matter of concern. While malls and restaurants try to reassure with increased security, not all parents are convinced

A few months ago, when Gitanjali Kashyap wanted to celebrate her daughter8217;s fifth birthday, she didn8217;t lose sleep about the location. She bundled her child and a gaggle of her friends into a car and drove to what they called the B-day Zone 8212; Fun City at Ambience Mall, Gurgaon. An evening on the swings and burgers at the food court, it was the perfect party at the mall. Now, post-26/11, with fear in the air, Kashyap is loath to take her daughter to the mall, or to a party at a restaurant. She would rather have the little one safe within the confines of her farmhouse in Chhattarpur.

8220;Now I avoid sending my daughter to birthday parties at restaurants. Even popular markets like South Extension and GK seem insecure, with their infinite alleys and back lanes,8221; says Kashyap. Now, when she and her carpool friends think of organising a kids day out, they think of the open spaces of Lodhi Garden rather than the confines of malls. 8220;A weekend at the mall is a no-no even though security is better now,8221; sighs Kashyap. At Fun City, beyond its array of swings and food counters, you can spot sniffer dogs and new metal detectors. 8220;Most shops in the mall have deputed their own security guards, so there is double protection,8221; says brigadier retd Deepak Kapur, GM operations.

Ever since mall mania hit Delhi, Ansal Plaza8217;s gaming zone has been hugely popular with children who insist their birthday bashes be held at the venue. Now Funky Orbit is called Buddies Planet, after Ansal Plaza outsourced it to a company, and the extra-cautious staff even frisk the children coming in to play. 8220;We usually allot one member of our staff for a group of five kids,8221; says Abhijit Das, additional GM, Ansal Plaza. 8220;We teach kids to be a little careful even when they are partying.8221; Neeti Bhattacharya, mother of a three-year-old, is not convinced 8212; like many others. 8220;I don8217;t feel malls are secure zones. After these attacks, I am restricting my son8217;s outdoor activities to parks,8221; she says.

Nirula8217;s, one of the oldest haunts for blowing out the candles, hopes its beefed-up security will keep the place safe and the crowd in. 8220;We organise 70-80 birthday parties a month,8221; says Ajay Khanna, veep, operations, Nirula8217;s. While he says it8217;s too early for cancellations, the company has drafted new security guidelines and installed CCTVs in all its 55 outlets in NCR. 8220;We have a new evacuation policy in place and have made our staff undergo security training,8221; he says.