This Independence day, I decided to walk all the major roads of my hometown in a year. I call this as Walking Parables, and yes it is clever wordplay. PARABle. You see it, don't you? My plan is to do 400 exclusive kms through Pune ( walking over the same road does not count) in the next year. Now I typically average 10 odd kms of walking every day, so this is honestly not ambitious but going to a new road requires time to set up and time is not my friend. Enough context. It was an uneventful first few days. I started where I stay Bavdhan. My forays involved running away from a security guard who treated me with the suspicion I deserved, a dog barking at me with the suspicion I did not, and above all reliving memories of my father and his favorite NDA Road. I covered the Chandni Chowk to Pashan Circle route including some side roads that jut out of NDA road like a fish bone.I decided to avoid private housing societies and organizations even if they had tempting concrete to offer .
There is a reason I started with NDA Road. My father passed out of NDA four decades ago and one of his favorite NDA related stories was how the then Commandant made the entire academy cycle down to Rahul Cinema to watch Tora Tora Tora.
He shared the story every time Tora Tora Tora played. Or there was a cycle in sight. Or someone mentioned Pearl Harbor. Or Pearls. Or Harbors. Or we were on NDA road (We stay on NDA road).
I would ignore these stories for that is the role all sons are supposed to play.
Now that I am older, I get it. I really do. As you age and restrictions around what you can experience increase like the rate of decline of your body, you jump at every opportunity to share memories. You want to say you have been there, done that especially to younger people.
Memories, end of the day, correction - end of our lives - is all that we have. Memories made with people, when alone, about a song from the past, or the Octopus you never could get around to eating.
Note to self: Be ruthless with the plans people talk about. Be patient with the stories they share.
The NDA Road from Pashan circle to the turn towards HEMRL is one of the prettiest roads in Pune. If Scarlett Johansson was a road flirting with a garden she would be the necklace road to your left dotted by the small hills in the background. This tree lined road also used to be well maintained and was smooth till two years ago, but as we figured out how to get to Mars we forgot how to make a road. This is the missus and my usual route for walking Joko and also for the occasional jog. If you are lucky (or maybe it is the other way round) you will spot peacocks and peahens on the curve hugged by the giant trees. Weekends usually have marathons and organized runs along with an epidemic of middle aged men in disturbingly tight fitting lycra cycling to lose their paunch and regain the years. To your right there is a small football field usually appropriated by young adults playing cricket.
The road after the turn to the highway and HEMRL is messy with shops after shops springing up like eggs left too long to boil right upto Chandni chowk. But the good people of Bavdhan and an active Corporator is fighting back and inspite of the chaos the wide footpath and road lined by the hill is beautiful. New installations include wide footpaths, an outdoor gym, sit outs, a toilet and a colorful wall painted by children and artists from the area.
I imagined a young version of my Dad and his friends tearing down this slope on their cycles - hill to the right, acres of ground to the left - excited about the the movie they were about to see. If anyone has any photos from Chandni Chowk or the Bavdhan road from those days, do share.
All these years in Bavdhan, I have been told that Madhuri Dixit has a Bunglow here. I always thought this must be the one for it is so close to my house. So during my walks - this time i finally gathered the nerve to go up to the society gate and ask the security guard if Madhuri Dixit stay here. I had to break into a run after the look he gave me. Aren't there some truths that you never want to find out and live with whatever you believe in. A part of me never wants to definitively find out.Tips and Recommendations
- Try Peter's Momos in front of Tasty Tongues post 6 pm. Look for a huge unexplained crowd around a thela. Best momos in the world.
- D Palace is another great place for value for money seafood and booze. Ideal to go with your cheapo friends
- There is a decently clean toilet near ICICI Bank and you will also spot a Maruti Suzuki Kishashi - the worst selling car from the legendary auto-manufacturer in India in this area.
The side roads that lead to the housing societies are generally clean and well kept and while I could not cover them all, I will do so in the coming days.
Here are the stats so far:
#thatwriterfromindia #walkingparables #gauravparab #buymybooks.#randomhashtagasIdontknowhowtousehashtags
No comments:
Post a Comment