Migrating to a new city, one has to deal with several emotions, including loneliness and the feeling of being away from home. An acquaintance narrated her experience when she came to the Capital to take up a job. Her nervousness as she stepped into her office was soon overcome by the easy and cheerful work atmosphere. However, returning home was a different story. There was nothing but empty rooms and lonely walls. She didn’t know her neighbours, which was a cultural shock as she came from a place where a neighbourhood was like an extended family.

One day, during the month of Ramadan, she returned home, offered prayers and started cooking as she recalled how her mother would feed her iftaar (evening food) and how the family prayed together. She was unable to visit her family for Eid but, just to mark the festival, prepared Sewai kheer. Around noon, her door-bell rang and a young lady was at the door-step, a bowl in hand. She introduced herself as a neighbour and had brought biryani.

Our friend invited the young lady in and offered her the Sewai kheer she had made. And this was the beginning of a lasting friendship. That's when our colleague realised the power of a festival in forging relationships, no matter what religion or faith. Between the office and home, life happens, she concluded.

Excuse to beg

Begging has truly been refined to a fairly high degree. And many are the grounds (read excuses) for seeking alms, especially in the metropolitan cities. Carrying a small child, laying out an "injured" child or displaying a bandaged or amputated limb are all too common. People silently standing with a box, claiming to help cancer patients, is also a familiar sight, particularly for Metro passengers. What stumped a colleague as she entered a South Delhi Metro station was a novel "plea". At the entrance, a teenaged girl sat with a cardboard box and a backpack full of books beside her. On a placard was the legend: "Need help to prepare for IAS exams"!

A tech battle

When parents of the smartphoneusing millennials try their hands, or rather fingers, on the new-age devices, the equation between them often turns topsy-turvy. A colleague recalled how a friend desperately tried to avoid responding to his mother as to why her friend request was still pending. As his mother gently coaxed the friend was determined to sustain a "private life" and did not budge. After having emptied her tactic bank, the mother finally used her ultimate threat to take away his phone. That's when he quickly flipped out his phone, rapidly foraging through the heaps of friend requests. As he confirmed the request, his mother smiled smugly, knowing she had won the contentious tech battle.

Veiled surprise

As the National Capital is now preparing to embrace the monsoons, the happiness of getting relief from the scorching heat is visible on the face of Delhi'ites. But sometimes, unpreparedness often leads to little humorous incidents. A colleague narrated a recent incident when a young couple and their child got drenched in sudden rain. Just to protect her child, the mother removed her dupatta and wrapped it around the head of the child. When the family entered the Metro security check, the security guard asked the child to join the ladies' queue. Upon which, the little boy became really angry at his mother and yelled, "Mom, boys don't wear dupattas!" and handed over the garment to his mother.

The security guards and fellow travellers burst out in laughter. And the little child became red with anger but those red chubby cheeks looked all the more cute.

Tailed piece

Overheard: Whether or not government implements GST, all that we want is lower prices not higher taxes.

(Contributed by: Vrinda Baheti, R V Smith, Sadaf Mahmood, Siddhi Jain, Kunal Roy and Asha Ramachandran)