You were a legendary name
from history textbooks,
probably the first general knowledge answer
drilled into my four-year-old brain
DELHI- the big place
of the fabled Lutyens
and the revered Mir and Ghalib.
Now almost three decades later
you are a part of my being....
the first smells of a huge shopping mall
fresh,new but alien.
the first trip on the dreaded blue-monster
on your long, confusing,historic roads.
the realisation of you as living
pulsating,changing.
It is here I learnt that
tears are the best ink
to wrench out pain in words.
It is here that I experienced
passion for causes,trees,
but not people.
The familiar which was cruel,
heartless and rude
and the stranger who was kind
thoughtful and polite.
The restless and the ruthless
on the road
the homeless and the content
on the sidewalk.
The loner with the
most expensive beer in the world
and the beggar sharing roti
with some dog-friends.
The late-night party
which often spills over
the morning
and the
sufi shrine
where all hours are similar.
DELHI ,my dear old lady
you the most young at heart
the foods,the smells and the sights
trust me ,I'll carry them all.
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