“Who Stole Delhi’s Winter?” Saw
this snippet in the newspaper this morning and couldn’t help smiling at it. Exactly what's been going on in my mind. Winter is my favorite part of living in Delhi and the deprivation of some of the much awaited experiences is definitely being felt .
So you are wondering what the big
deal is. What do winters in Delhi mean?
To start with, it is our favorite fashion
season. Big or small, dark or fair, tall or short, with the fancy jackets, turtlenecks, scarves, tweeds, the chillier
it gets, the more we layer up in style. The only appreciative statement that I
have heard from a Mumbaikar for Delhi is- “everyone in Delhi dresses up so well in
winters.” While most people will relate to their mom’s staple question in this
season – “beta sweater pehna hai ki nahin”
it’s not just the ‘sweater’ - we have a full winter wardrobe. And if you have
been to college in Delhi, you will surely have a knitted cap and pair of
obnoxiously bright colored socks that you bought from Dilli Haat. Alas, this
year, we haven’t moved beyond the first layer. The matching knitted caps , stoles
and gloves will probably go back into the boxes untouched. Even the notorius
muffler is probably out of business this year.
Dilli Haat just
reminded me of the food fiesta. Winters is the weight gaining season. Of course
we can hide all the additional gains under those layers. Chikki and gajak rule
and so does gajar ka halwa and sarson ka saag. Our sweet tooth suddenly gains prominence
and the colder it gets the more it demands these fat laden sweets. And while we
get all veggies throughout the year nowadays, the gajar matar ki sabzi ubiquitously appears in everyone’s lunch box
during winters in Delhi. December to February also brings along the wedding
season which does not help much in controlling the bulges. The wedding menu cannot
be complete without a hot “kulhar” of
Kesar milk. This year, with the chill yet to come, my inaugural gajar ka halwa
still waits in the refrigerator.
Talking about food, how can we
not mention the bonfires or the angeethis. The rooftops have these specially
set up. Even if they didn’t have, if you thought Delhites would stay indoors
during this season,you are mistaken. 3D parties rock as it gets colder ( 3D- Drinks, Dinner and Dance). Whoever wrote the lyrics of “tadpaye tarsaye se, pyar tera dilli ki
sardi’’ definitely hit a jackpot with the song sticking to every Delhi
party! The bonfires will probably just be a memory this year. It’s January and
I still switch on the AC in my car.
The other thing we get crazy
about is coffee in winters. From students huddled in their hostel rooms to
after dinner sittings in the family to romantic couples, a cup of desi hand-whipped
concoction of sugar and Nescafe finds its way everywhere. It makes us more
social, adds to the feeling of community. You’ll never hear someone saying lets
catch up over Pina colada in summers but let’s catch up over coffee in winters
is a pet statement.
A hot cup of coffee, a warm
blanket and a Bollywood block buster like DDLJ playing on TV is the ultimate
experience for a homebody at this time. If you are blessed with warm sunshine
in your house/apartment to add to the above, you are nearly going to attain
nirvana. If not then the variety of heating paraphernalia right from the
rudimentary copper coil heater to the latest oil radiators make the environment
even cozier. As I write, my poor blower is gaping at me from the corner of the
room. It had just started clearing its throat and suddenly ran out of season.
By the way it’s not just the sunshine,
we love the fog too. It’s tragic to wake up on a January morning and not find
yourself floating in fog when you look out of the window. How dense the fog was
today is a favorite morning conversation which we have been deprived of!
From the struggle of getting out
of the blanket in the morning to standing in the queue for a round of hot
jalebi and rabdi, from shelling groundnuts idly to driving in the morning with
headlights on, each of these winter experiences ignites an emotion. I could go
on and on but while there is still some time left to experience the rest, my
fondest experience that’s been stolen and won’t come back till next year is the
winter rain in Delhi on 1st January… what’s yours?
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