Last Tango
This is my last night home.The vacation has come to an end. It feels like that I just got here and now its time to go. I have very few regrets though about the trip. I did almost all the things that I wanted to do. I have not yet gone to Marz-o-Rin despite the 'impression' that it gave to readers (Javed :( ). It has been a long and dangerous summer. I passed Laxmi road twice today. Once in the searing heat of the afternoon and once again in the evening. This is the first time in my entire life I actually made an effort to look at the buildings properly. A looked around when stopped at the great red lights while the traffic snarled around me.
The Dagdusheth Chowk is full of neon signs that coexist with black brick structures, old wooden windows, broken glass-panes, dust over the ages that no one bothers to clean, old signboards with peeling paint. New buildings with ceramic tiles and old ones with the rough granite stones. Business is still conducted on first floor offices with rickety wooden stairs with carved banisters. A mix of old and new. Few steps forward and a few back. Pune with aspirations of a slick metro with wide roads and fly-overs. The narrow streets of city and the crowded gallis still remain.
It was my last tango, my last ride through the streets, zipping through as I did all these years. Its great to be on one of the bridges in the evening and feel the cool breeze. Soon these stinks, smells and scents will become memories. Good-night!