Indore diary [4] : Paanch rupye ki fati hui note...

What first comes in your mind, whenever you hear “Indore”. Honestly when I first thought seriously about indore, I thought what is reason of name “Indore”. I found through Wikipedia that this is due to Indrashwer temple. Sand of time polish name from Indrapur to Indur and finally to indore.

At the end of my first journey through van in Indore, I gave 10 rupees note and van driver return me 5 rupees note. But when I saw the bad condition of that note, I immediately complain to driver but he gave little attention towards me. “Are bhiya, chal jayega”, after this words he accelerated van and I was watching five rupees note in little storm of dust. I thought he was mad person who wants to get rid of that note, it’s better to forget such people.

For Indori people: a rare fresh five rupee note

But next day same incident happen with me, but this time my friend was also with me. When I was about to complain, he pulled my arm and say “are yar indore me chalta hai”. I briefly look at five rupee note and reply, “really”. Whether it’s a van, auto rickshaw or any restaurant, everywhere any type of five rupee is acceptable irrespective of condition of that note. Now when anyone refuses defective note of five rupee, I immediately remember Indore. Strange but true, a torn note of five rupees reminds me of Indore.

In Indore, breakfast means poha and/or jalebi. In almost every street, one can easily find Poha shop. Just like Tom with jerry, if there is Poha, there must be ‘Sev’. In Indore, people can see Tom without jerry, but there is no possibility of Poha without Sev unless one doesn’t want to take breakfast. During the whole year when I was in Indore, I ate Poha, Poha and only Poha in breakfast. (There are very-very few exceptions) Now when I eat Poha sometime it reminds me of Poha city.

A view of sarafa market at night

Until the day I visit sarafa, I never thought Indori people are so crazy about food. Sarafa in Indore is less known for jewellery than food. During day time jewellery shop are open and in evening up to midnight jewellery shops get closed and place is full of street vendors selling different type of delicious food. If you are in Indore and your friends say that ,”Let’s go Sarafa”, this means for exploring food only and nothing to do with gold or silver. Sometime I think, may be some crazy foodies ask for food at jewellery shop during day time. An unimaginable thing for other cities. Chappan bhog near palasiya is another place in Indore for food explorers. Chapppan bhog is market having shops of many types of foods.

India invented zero and every Indian has proud of it. But everybody talks about zero who cares about one(ek). Only a true Indori understand the value of one(ek), for him/her everything is either “ek number” or “nothing”. My friends in Indore usually tell “ek number” whenever something good they hear or see. I often thought that when will they say two(do), three(teen) or something else. But they never got ahead of one(ek). Sometime I think, One(1) might be invented in Indore.

So next time when you will in Indore, don’t forget to visit Sarafa and Chppan Bhog. Don’t forget to collect your defective five rupees notes to spend at Indore….

Indore is ‘ek number’.

Flowing like water..

I was watching air at the home, thinking about nothing. Door knocked and I opened the door. My two friends, Adi and Sonu came inside. After exchanging few words, they wanted to play carom. I had to agree on their demands. We started to play carom. I was playing just to give them company. All was well for five minutes during those moments they were playing seriously. But after that, they were playing as their wish. They were putting ‘goti’ anywhere on the board, applied full force on ‘striker’ which causes the ‘goti’ fall outside, stop ‘goti’ through finger and so many like this. Initially I got angry on them although didn’t say anything to them. After few such moments, I observe that they were more enjoying the game. I also joined them after feeling their happiness. Before such moments, we were like ice bounded by some rules of god. But now we were flowing like water. Just like flowing water, nothing restricts us. We made our own way.

Although rules define boundaries, but due to them, we can concentrate on a thing. In cricket, if a ball goes outside of boundary line, then there will be four runs. This rule of cricket helps to judge different batsman and a batsman will concentrate to hit ball so that ball will reach beyond boundary line. Rules help us to determine our behavior at different places. 

But when, day and night, we follow rules. Then sometime we feel that rules are bound our thinking and actions or make a virtual box beyond which we never think. When I break the rules and do whatever i want, it feels like I am on the driver seat of my car on an empty road. By break rules, just like my friends did, I feel happiness. If somebody breaking a rule again and again then that person will not feel happiness every time. Because breaking a rule itself, become a rule. As happiness is a feeling and can be felt in any situation. For some people break a rule may not be source of happiness. But for the people like me and my friends, this is always a fun. During my school time, I often open my Tiffin box during teacher taught us and eat food. At that moments I didn’t even look inside Tiffin, use my hands to find something edible. It didn’t matter what was inside Tiffin, but that was most tasty food of the world. A rule in every school defines the timings for lunch. But whenever I broke that rule so felt immense pleasure. Although it doesn’t mean that I didn’t attend classes during my school time seriously but I also enjoyed that moments. I bunk very few lectures during my college time, but whenever I bunked lecture, I felt a thrill in my body, ”oh, what will happen if teacher saw us?”.Memorable chat during that bunk moments were one reason of tears in my eyes on the last day of college. I accept sometime I didn’t follow time table (a rule to define proper timings of a lecture) but that were the moments I never forget.

Mind is like sun and thoughts are like sunlight. Sunlight cannot burn piece of paper unless a proper lens is used to concentrate power on paper. Everyone has capability to achieve success but only few can achieve them. Why? Because successful people can concentrate their thoughts on a particular thing they want to achieve. Rules and regulation are like lens through which we can concentrate sunlight of thought on particular area of life. Rules are important and essential part of everyone’s life, whether anyone want to achieve success or fun.

On roads of a city...

Few days ago, I visited my friend’s city where he lives with his family. Although, now days in most of cities, the conditions of roads are quite well but due to municipal board of same party for past four consecutive times, the situation is worse here. Almost every road was decorated by pits. When I saw a road with very less pits, I felt as I saw an Indian widow after watching so many Indian married ladies. On a few roads, small amount of asphalt was left which gives the feeling, there must be a road there, and people in delusion passing by road. Asphalt of roads thawed by heat of corruption got accumulated in bank accounts. While rainwater accumulated on road.

Well, somehow I reached at my friend’s house. After formal conversation, I told him my opinion about roads of his city. He replied with no sign of any emotion but smiling in between words, “pratik, there are already so many troubles in life and you are talking about roads. There is old friendship between road and pits in my city like the friendship between us.”

At five o’clock in the evening, we left home to go market. We were going through scooter. I was driving scooter. I was continuously facing pits on road. I was trying my best to save scooter from pits but I felt that pits move themselves to come in my way. Although I was trying but almost all my endeavors got fail. I asked to my friend,” How can people of this city drive on this road daily? “

My friend asked,” What are you watching on road?”

I immediately answer,” Pits, lots of pits.”

My friend told, “While we people drive, never watches a pit instead look for road between two pits. That’s how we go through these mazes, everyday.”

After a small countable pause, he said,” If you want to keep moving in your life, than instead of thinking of problem(pits), always think of solution(little road between pits).”

I remain silent, thinking that probably he will consider himself a good philosopher.

Meanwhile civil war between me and army of pits was continuing.  Remaining vehicles went ahead of our scooter like in Olympic race group of foreign athletes are going ahead of Indian athlete. Suddenly a car which was moving ahead of our scooter applied break. I took benefit of opportunity and I drove scooter parallel to car which was not possible before due to rough driving and speed of car. While watching towards driving seat of car, I asked to driver, “Why did you apply sudden break in your car?” He replied with raising his eyebrows and some anger, “Did I ever promise you for this, then why are you asking?” I didn’t prefer to take conversation further. My friend said,” Why are you doing useless argument with him? India got independence on 1947, everybody is free now.”

After few hundred meters there was crossroads, there I saw under the shadow of tree, two traffic police constables were seated on stool, one was reading newspaper and another constable was talking on mobile. As we were going further, the road was getting narrow. I understood that we are entering into old part of city. After few distance, we need to take left turn. While I was driving scooter towards left, suddenly an auto rickshaw appeared before scooter. I applied breaks immediately and saw towards driver of auto rickshaw in perplexity. My heartbeat went high like the bank balance of road contractor after getting a road contract. But he was looking like he is sitting at photograph studio in front of camera and photographer is about take his picture. As I was watching towards him, he drove his rickshaw. I was watching him in side mirror of scooter.

Then my friend saw a famous restaurant. We went there and order two ‘samosa’. I was still in rickshaw moments. I asked to my friend,” Didn’t that auto rickshaw driver can blow horn?” I corrected my question, “Didn’t that auto rickshaw have horn?” My friend answer, “Probably not, but he must have confidence, that’s why he can drive in narrow streets so fast.” My friend was smiling. I was disappointed and surprised by his attitude. I asked him sincerely and in posture of being angry, “You were not like this, during college you complaint for anything happen in class to principal” My friendly replied with smile, “That was to impress girls in class.” After small pause, looking in my eyes he said, “Now, to whom I complaint?”