Dil se Hyderabadi

Six months of separation.And one glorious week of reunion.Bound to bring about an upsurge of emotion.
I want to cry,laugh,sing,dance,cheer,whoop,yell,taunt,rejoice,sigh,celebrate.

I choose to blog.

This post is dedicated to my favourite city in the whole world,Hyderabad.And my friends who live there.The ones who have,yet again,taught me to love and love life like never before.

Where is my Hyderabadi dil?

In a heady auto ride,through narrow gullies,while pesky schoolboys run helter-skelter.

On a riotous swing,nestled between the madhumulati bushes that dot my home.

On the seat of my faithful scooter,that has led my friends and me to many an afternoon of adventure.

In the whirlwind of motion that comes with every step that one takes in Hyderabad,I seek refuge.


Where is my Hyderabadi dil?

In the SRK songs that Abhi and me chant,at regular gappe ke sessions at the local
adda.

In the soulful clanging of the bells ,announcing the evening aarti at the shrine of the West Marredpally temple.

In the rythmic beats of Timberlake's vocal chords,as he croons "Apologize" into my ears,everytime I walk at 5:OO a.m,in a futile attempt at exercise.

In the melody of sounds that play ,like a beautiful accompaniment,when you listen to the soul of Hyderabad,in the melody,I seek refuge.

Where is my Hyderabadi dil?

In the chocolatey,gooey delight of pastries at CCD,Begumpet,listening to Sakshi talking her heart out.

In the meetha of the puchkas of Ratnadeep Chaat,which are like amrut to a parched throat,like Utopia to a parched heart.

In the tadka of the subzis at Utsav,where I have feasted,whilst celebrating birthdays,get-togethers,succeses,and maybe even failures.

In the bittersweet melange of tastes that descend upon my taste buds,every time I grab a plate in Hyderabad,I take refuge.


Where is my Hyderabadi dil?

In the promising blue of Saturday mornings ,bits of which can be spotted from the windows of FIITJEE.

In the smiling green of Friday evenings,that used to soothe me as Dad would drive through Necklace Road.

In the ambitious white of the lights at our loacal outdoor badminton court,underneath which Aks and I would wait,armed with raquets,patience and weird jokes that only both of us understand.

In the panorama of colours that paint the surreal,fascinating mystical city that I used to inhabit,I seek refuge.


Dear dear city,it pains me to realize that everytime I meet you,it is only to depart again.
Everytime I wave hello,it is only to wave goodbye again.

Everytime I run about ,gathering old memories,reliving old friendships,and buying lost time,it is only to wake up to the fact that time will never be the same again,because I will never be a real Hyderabadi again.

Phir bhi apun bolega,hum dil se hyderabadi hain,aur hyderabadi rahenge.

I would rather not end with a pompous salaam,in a desperate bid to mask all sorrow.

I quietly slink away...