As
I was about to enter the metro at Kashmere Gate Metro Station on the Red-line,
I was taken aback by the alacrity with which a family rushed in to board the
same compartment. It was the same family that I had come across at the
escalator where the lady, in this group of six, had created quite a fuss
in the rush hour due to her hesitation at stepping onto the escalator. She was
dressed in a saree (the traditional
dress worn by Indian women) and also sported a ghoonghat (veil) which might had been the cause for her hesitation.
No amount of coaxing by the other male members of the family could convince her
as she finally took the staircase. I felt pity at the inconvenience of this
group, which responded with a sheepish smile in response to the ‘jaane
kahaan kahaan se chale aate hain’ walaa
sarcastic smile of the crowd that had gathered behind them by this time. Hence
when this family virtually jumped into the compartment on the Red-line I promptly
made way for them. This summer vacation I often come across rural folks on a visit
to this historical city on a holiday trip. They appear simple people from small
towns for whom Delhi, with its pomp and grandeur presents the picture of a city
out of India. A ride in the Delhi Metro is a compulsory feature on the itinerary
of our guests from the rural India. As I entered the compartment behind this
group, the elderly member thanked me for my gesture. While other commuters had got
busy with their mobile as is the wont these days, the two male members engaged
me into a talk. They regretted their behavior which I believe was prompted by
their anxiety at traveling in the Delhi metro for the first time. They had managed a seat
for the lady and the girl accompanying them. Their two sons and the girl who
was in her teens watched the cityscape from the window with utter surprise.
Even the bill-boards drew their attention and comments. The lady drew a long ghoonghat (veil) since she was traveling with her father-in-law and hence was unable to enjoy the ride. The
other male member was her husband while the girl her sister-in-law (nanad). I marvel at the Indian culture
which has developed a variety of names to distinguish the various human
relationship. “Any culture develops a
variety of names to distinguish shadings of any element of which there was
abundance in environment. So the Eskimos apparently had half a dozen names for
snow and Indians similarly had names for a nearly endless number of specific
relationships. (Anurag Mathur in
“The
Inscrutable Americans). I feel sad we are fast losing this beauty of
our culture and find pleasure in restricting our self to “Aunty” and “Uncle” while
addressing elderly people instead of using the vernacular version like "chachi", "mausi", "tau" or "chacha" to distinguish the relationship. The lady in veil appeared quite lost
since nothing was visible to her. The girl was soon attracted towards the
announcements and she started passing on the information to her bhabhi (sister-in-law), as if her bhabhi, who was unable to see things
around due to her veil was also unable to hear anything as a result. The
anxiety on the face of these fellow commuters made me realize that all these were something very new and
special for them. The continuous announcements, the automated opening and
closing of doors, the escalators and the cleanliness keep them spellbound. Just
like an average Indian on a visit to a foreign nation for the first time, these
fellow commuters appeared quite lost on this pleasure trip of Delhi Metro,
which was a firsthand experience for them. They will certainly return to their
dear village with sweet memories of Delhi and Delhi Metro just like any average
Indian who cherishes his first visit to a foreign shore. The elderly person
wished me once again as they got off at Pitampura. I was overwhelmed by his
courteous behavior throughout the journey- a rarity in Delhi.
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