A cup of tea in Madhepura

Today I saw a man,
sitting next to me,
I was having tea,
so too he.

Just a thick dark skin,
between atmosphere and him,
hollow eyes and naked feet crackin’,
don’t know the surface sad or smilin’.

Beside him me a triple chin,
shrinking fatter while he grows thin,
him me and me him shall I pity him,
or rather me myself my frien’.

For armpit

E street shuffle at Bihar

Bihar is unique, because when Mihir says, everyone here literary lives on the roads, he is true. I confirm his observation, because whichever road that runs in this state of India is not more than a street wide. Therefore, the roads here are not roads but streets everywhere and most people have their houses or shops fixed just next to them. At first it may nakedly appear that the oppressed is used to being oppressed here, but it is somewhat true, because the truth is everyone gives way to a little arrogant. This could be because, the local land is so fertile and natural and traditional systems so strongly established, that it gives the local folker much much more than whatever material or psychological these babus, politicians, landlords and their cronies can rob from them.

Entry in Bihar

Flying by domestic air plane so can work on sustainable bamboo construction. Doesn’t seem right, right? Spice jet serves packed sandwiches but no tea or coffee. Them could actually stand up to their name by letting a common hawker setup a small chai shop inside the plane itself. Then will actually call it a no frills airline. Don’t I say right? Indian Airlines plane starts late by an hour, the train drops late by an hour. Things don’t change fast, right? Patna, where every man, a stranger, we talked to tells us to take care of ourselves and not talk to strangers. Is it right? Big crowds with green flags filling up the road, with red flags filling up the platforms, is it right? At night Saharsa station is crowded with a minimum five thousand laying or sleeping. Can't say wrong or right. The lazy caretaker after an hour of honking at the hotel gate tells all rooms are occupied by executives, and it is 12’ midnight – what if you have booked a room, is it any time to come? Not right.

Dispersion within Amdavad

Smoking is useful. Because, it makes you aware about things you otherwise won’t know.

If you are not a smoker, you may still stop opposite the Torrent power station at Sabarmati, and take pictures of the cooling tower that had collapsed ten days ago or so. Dear non-smokers don't mind my saying so, but chances are less that you will befriend an unknown regular Galla owner with one choti gold-flake. He would tell you to take snaps of the other two standing towers as well, because they will collapse soon too. The shopkeeper will claim that the design of the cooling tower was cool because all rubble fell inside the structure. No life loss, only three injured, and that’s why there’s not any big uproar.

The conversation will then extend to the Galla owner’s brother, who hanging around, will ask you if you would know someone in the Municipal Corporation to look at their society’s ever leaking drains and water supply. The whole place in real mess. The brother will also mention that despite running around, even the newspapers aren’t much interested in their cause. Banjara-ni-Chaali with forty-five families is now desperately looking for a builder who offers a better price because the last one was of One Crore Rupees. The request will change - to finding a builder rather than a municipal engineer.

Now, this is one example in Ahmedabad city where development (Vikaas) is undoubtedly happening. People are more aware and richer, and are seeking a better quality of life. Slowly, from a community they are turning into individual property seekers - dispersing into different directions looking for newer or better homes. Not only because of modernity, but because of the lack of provisoning of a decent basic infrastructure.

Anyways, after this dispersion, the people will merge together into a newer housing society expecting a so called better lifestyle, which would be individualistic and a little more modern, just a little. And, an older city eventually giving way to a newer one.