Safar khoobsurat hai manzil se bhi – an ode to charm of train journeys ! 💕

Train as seen from pulbangash metro station, New Delhi. 

There is a certain nostalgia attached to train journeys. This blog is all about my childhood and trains but i am quite sure every 90s kid can relate to it.

I still remember as a kid when we had to go to a destination faraway, the preparation for the journey was more than the preparation for the destination. Packing started atleast two days back, neighbours came and made munchies so that we kids don’t go hungry on train. Cool cases were cleaned as they were the only source of clean water. Utensils were packed to eat ‘puri-aloo’. Oh god! These little things. Never understood the value at that time but at this moment, I realize how valuable those moments were.

Jumping from berth to berth along with other kids in the bogie, and ours mothers running behind us to feed us and secretly taking care that we don’t fall off as we do our stunts. Those little joys. The millenial kids are missing a lot. Ludos, champak, nandan all were packed so that we restrict our monkey instincts. The cards were packed for the adults. I was a little different. I kept an atlas with me and marked all the stations I crossed( trust me, it made my political geography really strong. Would really thank my parents for encouraging this idea).

Another special feature of these trains were they got late during the journey. They stopped anywhere anytime. A twenty four hour journey never took the time

These long journeys have also given birth to long time friendships. The people in bogie were not individuals but a big family keeping aside the distinctions caste, class, religion embarked on the same journey towards the same destination.

They would not realize the beauty of the blue snails running through lush green fields and people from the village running to have a view of it after all train journey was a luxury which not many could afford. They waving us and we waving them back. The yellow board which were in perfect contrast with the background, no matter what the vegetation of the place is.

Nagercoil junction, Tamil Nadu- the cleanest station i have been to. 

One of the nearest destinations from Delhi. Visit here for Sariska wildlife sanctuary and bala kila.

 

Not many people know that delhi has a local train and it has these small pretty stations which are a beauty in itself.

 

Dholpur is a hidden treasure in rajasthan. Go here for chambal gharial sanctuary. I will blog about it soon.

 

Bharatpur, rajasthan famous majorly for Keoladeo national park. Have a look at this link to know more about it –Bharatpur : A bird’s place .

Delhi – My second home. 🏡

 

Home 🏡

I will still prefer train over a plane anyday but time, this fast moving life has snatched the pleasure of travelling in  a train 😦 !

DU is changing? Nah,not really !

The on going tussle between ABVP and AISA on the invitation of Umar Khalid to deliver a lecture on bastar tribes has been really violent. Students are being hurt, they are being beaten up, dragged by hair, attacked by stones.
On this issue, many of my friends have been saying that our “DU was never like this” “This is not DU ” “JNU is spreading”  , but i plan to go against them and say our DU was always like this. It always had overexcited seeds forever ready to blossom and here are the consequences.
These seeds are sowed as early as May-June, as soon as the forms are out. Many expected candidates take admissions just to participate in election and some are so crazy that they fail to be a part of these elections. Shocking isn’t it? But yeah , this is the reality!
Talking about the student elections that happen in DU every year, are nothing but outrageous show of money.They are extremely misogynist, pro rich, scandalous and provoking a region based politics. Is this what one calls student politics? Agenda less, or even if they have an agenda, it has rotten years back.
The panels from the student wings of all big parties have no ideology but just one aim “TO COME IN POWER AND EXPLOIT IT”. The candidates are no other but the sons (‘at times’ daughter), nephews of already existing rich politicians whose main motive is to win the election and keep that achievement in their pocket and show it whenever needed (or not needed), or to become a recognized face so that when they stand in elections in their towns, they are already “experienced” in politics, which undoubtedly they become.
The Clause 6.6.1 of Lyngdoh committee states that “The maximum permitted expenditure per candidate shall be Rs 5000/-”is very strictly followed, only they replaced the word “candidate” with the “voter. They distribute notebooks, pens, t shirts, and even umbrella at times. Mentioning free food coupons, alcohol, trips to amusement parks wouldn’t be stating the obvious? Posters and pamphlets, are they counted in the expenditure too? Nah, not for them. They have different tactics to impress different groups, the north easterns, the biharis, the new and vulnerable, Muslim voters, differently abled. Every group is taken care of!
They ask ‘pretty’ girls to campaign for them, as they would attract the “new boys”. They stoop so low that they ask the students to vote for them on the pretext of friendship with the “pretty face”. Each group is in a competition who has the prettier face. The girl candidates are judged by how beautiful they are because already nobody is ready to be ordered by a female, and if they are ugly, “whooshhh, lady you have just lost your chance.” Nobody cares what your agenda is, how intelligent you are, only your appearance matters.
Now coming to the campaigners, they are paid on day to day basis. They are mostly not the members of DU and when they come here to campaign, they are already aware of “Dilli ki ladkiyan” (Thank you bollywood and punjabi rappers), so for them, they are in a fairyland, where passing lewd comments, touching them inappropriately is all acceptable, you know “dilli ki ladkiyan badi modern hai, yeh sab normal hai unke liye“. DU girls even if they deny are very well aware of this reality.

And in this pomp and show, the actual candidate is shadowed but why should we care, it’s just a university level election, they happen every year, what’s the big deal? Isn’t in with resonance with the new rule “SURVIVAL OF THE MIGHTIEST?” Then why are we blaming DU now, it hasn’t changed, this kind of actions were long overdue. We should blame ourselves, where were we when there were DUSU elections? Chilling at home probably, or partying somewhere! Why did we not question them, why were we indifferent to the money flowing at a higher speed than tap water these days, why were we mute spectators, why were we dormant volcanoes at the time when explosion was actually needed?

And it ended. :(

Yesterday was my last day of college. I was quite happy that “Finally I will be free from forced friendships” ( I know I sound very mean but I am quite picky and choosy when it comes to “close” friends. They were self invitees to my close friends list , which
I didn’t like much. 😛 )
But today morning when I woke up , I asked Maya aunty to pack lunch for me but then she replied me back “ Arey ! Tumhara college toh kal khatam ho gaya tha na?!!”.
“Arey haaaaaan. Mai toh bhool hi gayi.” Saying this I went back to my dreamy state , happy as a little child.
Then again I woke up , this time to charge my phone because if my battery isn’t full charged , it might die ( Android problems) in the middle of college and then how will I update my Snapchat stories but waitttttt , isn’t my college over ? Why am I now worrying about 100% battery? I will be at home all day , full freedom. YAY. 😼🙌
But going back to sleep became difficult , the feeling of leaving college was slowly sinking in me. No going back to Kirorimal ( though I will go to give my semester exams) but no more of sitting and gossiping , classes , running after teacher for assignments. All this had gone now.
I was missing the building more than the people but I ultimately realised that it were those people who made the building special. And now I am too nostalgic to write anymore.

Have a good day guys 💕
And value every moment you live because soon it will be a memory ! ✌

Have a good day 💕

Alvida

I am quite nostalgic writing this post and also will be for few days because 20th is my last college day. I am happy that I will be graduating once I pass my final semester exams but also sad. Three years flew faster then expected. 😦
अलविदा :: Alvida is an Urdu word meaning goodbye.
Today my juniors came to me as cheerful as they always are and handed me this card “Alvida”.
I was invited to the farewell party of my society NSS ( National Service Scheme ). Nss is a society for social work in almost all Indian colleges. I am proud to say that I was a part of it. But I won’t be a part of it anymore. College over , society is over for me.

No more meetings , fun and frolic while working for the events. Sadly , the time has gone.

I was like ” aww” reading the caption because this year I was quite busy in other stuff rather then managing society , still they are modest enough to invite me. I think I deserve this privilege because I am branded as their “best senior ” ( forever lucky :p)
Any suggestions for the parting gifts ? How should I respond to their love ? I need help. Because responding love with love , enhances love. Always show love to people who you really love because love is all what we need.

Farewell is tomorrow and I am quite excited too ,you know why ?
Because it’s a partyyyyy 🎊 , and party means getting dressed up and dressing up is love. ❤