I stand in front of 1, Manak Vihar, ND-92 crossroad and smell the CWG flavour of the day, spruced up roads, pavements and the yellow halogen lights kiss the black bitumen. The recent rains have provided the needed moisture, the greens, on the either sides of the roads wanting for. As the nicotine goes up in the air, I just realized that it’s been 4 years.

“mujhe aaj hi shift karne ka hai,” that was said 4 years ago to him. How many of you want to share the first day @Veda excitement with me? My first full time job at the Manak Vihar basement came as a relief in multiple shots. Much has changed since then? The apartment B-131, 2nd floor was the best place on earth, at least to me. I had the best paranthas, freshly prepared dal, some rice and chappatis carefully wrapped around a thin muslin cloth inside the hot-case three times a day, mind it.

One independent room of freedom and some crazy room mates, definitely. Love, Rajan, Pawan and Vikram are great guys to know.

Before I tried to educate myself, as to how to draw the line between office colleagues and room mates, I found myself among them. B-131, had a party every day read nights of fun, debauchery and frolic complete with the sweet smelling liquid whereas the air turned pungent sometimes. How many of you remember Khach, khach?

So many pals from Tech, Apna- Ashok, Partha, Sriram and Priyanku in particular. Priyanku, do you remember the Anand Vihar railway station trip?

Highlights of B-131

 One night we caught 25 rats

 In one single day over 8 bottles went down the drains

 3 bachelors tied knots

 All the original members are still in touch and staying close by

 Traces of spirits felt

 Dai made his maiden flight trip from this place and important projects of course.

And lot more….I’ll remember Pawan for his pucca Punjabiness and opening ‘dukans’, Love’s louve for people, Rajan’s ‘khana’ and Vikram’s ‘dai-giri’. They are, and will be wonderfully successful people, I pray.

B-131 still stands strong somehow, minus the roomies. B-131 will miss us and so will we. It’s time to shift and move ahead.

Friday night:10 PM, Manak Vihar, New Delhi.

I see a man quietly, crossing the road and eyeing one of the hundred flower pots meant for beautification purposes (hastily done by the Sheila Dixit government). Aghast, I see him actually picking up one of the earthen pots and without any fear (not even the cops sitting just next to his LML Vespa) place the pot infront of him.

I am still looking at him with utter disbelief, on the other side of the illuminated road. The scooter grumbled, and so did the inner me. I crossed the road and challenged him. He stared back, I was no less. The middle aged, slightly bald man questions back, “tujhe kya problem hai.” I retort, “yeh public property hai, aap nahi le jaa sakte.” He abused me. I didn’t care. This man, wearing a white shirt, pulled the gear of his scooter. In a fraction, I decided not to let him go. The only worry was the 2 Smirnoff Vodka bottles, in one hand and helmet on the other. I chased him and pulled back the scooter. I tried hard, but my will to stop him was much more than the machine. I didn’t let him go.

This time I looked directly, in his eye, I barked, “apne baccho ko kya sikhayenge?” A young man, came from the sideways took away the flower pot from the scooter and placed that back it deserved. The cops continued to watch but refused to intervene (their vanilla ice-cream was melting btw).

The stare, the middle aged man gave, had a lot of questions.

Could be

1. who the hell is he?

2. What’s his problem in life

3. He should just get lost

4. I quick pick, just went off hand (because of this bugger)

People like him are there everywhere, “if only’ all of us become a little more aware and identify, what’s acceptable and what’s NOT. By the way, that man, looked, decent and fairly educated. Why did he steal something which belongs to the public?