PXylem

NEW DELHI,INDIA

The debate continues for ages, which is the better city to live in? Is it the political capital or the commercial capital of India? Is it Delhi or Mumbai? Both the cities provide refuge to millions of job seekers who come from different parts of India. Two metros have two different lifestyles, two different cultures. One is cosmopolitan, one is traditional. However, it's upto the individual perception that speaks for the city one is dwelling in.

Come to Delhi, the capital city of India, you will be greeted by 50 plus impressive flyovers. If it still doesn't astound you, get a round of Old Delhi, the true colour of Delhi, with monuments and lanes devoted to special cuisine, will definitely enchant you, while Mumbai's infrastructure is terrible. Stay one year or so, you will truly become a Delhiite known for its Dilliwala style – not paying bus fare, lawlessness, foul mouth…the list is long, what you don't find in Mumbai.

Mumbai -- the first impression it gives: the names of the places – that don't grimace your face, thanks to Bollywood movies and entertainment industry that we have been watching while growing up. You see people religiously maintaining a queue in bus stands which can't be seen in Delhi. Moreover, you feel that there is no "entropy" in day-to-day life activities. Life goes on lying on the windy beaches. Not to forget – a ride in interlink train comes as the testing time for you, to test your endurance and patience.

There are several other comparisons. While Delhi is too cold and too hot, Mumbai is neither cold, nor too hot. While Delhi is totally unsafe for women, Mumbai is believed to be a safe abode of the weaker sex if we neglect few infamous incidents. There are endless topics to be compared such as the terrible traffic of Mumbai, unsafe roads of Delhi or Continuous power supply of Mumbai , power and water crisis of Delhi. Debate will be on, on and on.

But at the end, both the cities are marvelous and lively in their own respect. Both the cities have their own plus and minus. Choosing the city – Delhi or Mumbai lies on what is your perspective towards life, it truly defines you.

Since its inception the Delhi Metro has become the iconic symbol of the national capital of India. You come to Delhi and you haven’t taken the ride of Delhi metro, than your journey is worthless and incomplete, even if you have watched and clicked for memory photographs of the most sought after tourist destination. Delhi metro is a must, a must destination for anyone. It is a modern day technological marvel, bisecting New Delhi and Old Delhi.

But how marvelous is Delhi metro can be witnessed if one takes a ride at pick hour time -in morning, evening or in festival time. Not only will you get astounded, astonished by the efficiency of the Delhi Metro but you will see true colour of Delhi wala. Delhi walas are well renowned for many known and unknown reasons. For some, Delhi walas are the rudest metropolitan people compared to the people of Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. Again for some, especially for police, the Delhi walas are the most undisciplined people in India. For them traffic rules are there to be broken again and again. Traffic in Delhi is erratic, unpredictable even for those who are born and brought up here.

These were some unexplained perception about Delhi and Delhi walas. Coming to the Delhi Metro scenario, this is one place where one could see CEOs and the cobblers sharing the same institution, irrespective of their economic and social status.

In the peak time the Delhi Metro runs full with seats occupied, commuters symmetrically standing and some occupying the floor of the Metro in the seating position. They give the impression as if they are traveling for many days and their destination is far away. They seemed relax, content, comfortable without any affect of maya of sansarikta. Great!

While there are other commuters sharing the interlinked cabins, seeing them closely give the impression as if they are heading for a war. Eyes vigilant, body attentive, hands in motion, anxiously waiting for the order to open, so that an attack could be carried out. As soon as the doors open at a station, the cool interiors of the Metro within no moment turns violent as people standing at the station tries to get into the Metro. The nicest thing of the situation is that everything goes without any verbal altercation and hard feelings. The armies at the station and others inside the Metro, who are in the eyeball-to-eyeball contact remain silent at the battle front.

Well, if you are thinking to go click spree in the Delhi Metro Station, signboards read photography is banned, but I have seen people freely clicking inside the premises of the Delhi Metro.

What could I say about the place; after all it is Delhi where laws take shape from person to person.

Who said while in pain you don't enjoy! It is not true. At least for me I thoroughly enjoy the grueling, painful travel that I undertake daily, 6 days of a week to get to my office. The bone-breaking journey has unraveled many inhibitions, fear that was ingrained deep in me.I mean it has made me a good person. The travel has broken many myths about the place Gurgoan, even broken some unestablished myths about myself that was in my head. It is truly a new avatar at my end.

I laugh on myself like a child when I am successful to get to office before time. The journey that I took as ordeal in the initial days, now after one month I am enjoying it to the fullest, every day is a new day for me. I have discovered the true dichotomy that exists in Delhi in general, and Gurgoan in particular.

In Delhi, where getting into a place is easy, thanks to Metro and fleet of government and privately owned buses. In its neighboring mini Delhi, Gurgoan synonymous of India's growth in real estate and IT, the situation is drastic. Traveling from Delhi to Gurgaon and vice versa, it needs proper planning and execution with a tinge of savvy knowledge that can be learnt only when you are physically present.

And witnessing the dynamics of the commuters on this route is really a fun. How do they attack any cab or car plying on the Delhi-Gurgoan road, National Highway 8? The attraction between commuters and cabs is similar to attraction and repulsion effect between iron and magnet. Though there is no theory that describes the commuters and cabs.

As soon as a cab halts, commuters, all office goers literally attack the driver with a volley of questions - Duala Kuan jayegi, Saket jayegi, Wazirpur jayegi....? And those who gets the cab going to their destination, getting into the cab comes as a struggling moment, since one has to compete with his fellow passengers.

And all this love-hate, success-failure takes place with me on the road of Delhi Gurgoan road. When I am successful, I treat myself with a chilled champagne. It is a moment of success, I celebrate it by taking omlette or boiled eggs with my friend Kushal.

Here is the plan that I undertake very often while going to office. For getting at time in office, I leave home exactly at 8 am and take a bus to Naraina, Ring Road from Inder Puri.

The real journey starts from here. The mode of vehicle determines, how I will reach Gurgoan, the two-third journey to my office. I prefer cab since it takes less time and it is comfortable compared to the bus journey where getting a seat is a distant dream.

As soon as I get down from the bus here in Naraina. My eyes start scanning all the cabs plying on the road automatically, without any external stimuli. God knows which cab turns out to be the one I was searching for!

Most of the time I am successful to get a cab. Drivers had a gaga time earning extra money from us, I came to know, as much as we are dependent on them, they are equally dependent on us. The drivers of the cabs and the commuters like me are both hawk-eyed in the fulfillment of their requirements. They get money and I get a pleasant ride. The ecosystem is built, and it runs smoothly.

The journey from Naraina to IFFCO chowk, Gurgoan cost Rs 15. Traffic is erratic and unpredictable. One can see fleet of bikes in this chill environment of Delhi, swirling here and there in the road struggling to get a space. The scene is beautiful , all happening on the road. Not an inch is left vacant on the road.

While at Toll Gate, which is presently not running. All speeding vehicles gives the impression of the volume of water gushing out from the tunnels of the dam. And seeing ourselves part of this gushing vehicles effect, it is altogether a memorable moment.

And after a pleasant ride which takes more than 45 minutes, I get down at IFFCO Chowk. From there I head towards my next journey which takes place in a rickety auto rickshaw. The auto rickshaw visible here in Gurgoan, I suppose must be shown in the Discovery Channel or Travel TV. I really mean it. An auto rickshaw accommodates 15 people! And it goes to 20 people if situation demands!!

Using the same mode of travel I go to Rajiv Chowk, and there to the place of job. This ritual, which has become part of my life since one month has vanished the fear, the traveling fear about Gurgoan. Now, the thought that Delhi is inaccessible after 4pm doesn't haunt me, doesn't disturb me. I look cool and relax at 8 pm, here, deep inside in Gurgoan, Haryana where offices work 24x7, 365 days of a year.

I suppose in this one month's to-and-fro journey I might have shared with you the same seat in cab or have bitterly struggled with you!