Sadi Dilli

Several things happened today. I saw the movie Aisha in the afternoon. It is shot in Delhi and actually makes the city look very arty and ethereal- especially by night. The characters are typical Delhites and range from the bitchy, snobbish to the crude and uncouth note-flashing types. If you are from Delhi, you'll know what I mean. We hate them but we cant stop talking about them. In the last few years I've often thought about moving from the city and settling down in some more naturally beautiful place like the seaside or in the mountains. But whenever I imagine myself in such a locale- away from Sadi dilli and everything I'm familiar with I get panic attacks. I dont think I can stay away from this horrible and pathetic place for long. The roadside peeing, scratching and shoving Delhiwala doesn't bother me anymore. The city has got to me like an itch that is subcutaneous. My love affair with the Delhi soil actually began after reading Willian Dalrymple's City of Djinns. When I drive along the Red Fort walls I can actually feel the whispers of centuries gone by in my ears and experience the tug of history. I feel like a bead in a necklace- part of a scheme, a plan. It gives me a sense of belonging to this barren land. The city of matchbox houses and shopkeepers. The city which gives me inspiration to laugh, write, sing and make friends. The city I think I love.