First of the firsts: Jee chahe panchi ho jawa

 

March 2, 2019

I’ve always been rebellious and unconservative in my approach to life. ‘As free as a bird’ is what I used to write in my slam-book “What do you want to become” sections. Came to  college with my dreams to explore my brand new freedom only to be restricted by the 8 pm entry rule in my girls hostel. But then “suraj ki kirno ko roke , wo salakhien hai kaha!?”

On one random early spring evening while listening to Kishor, feeling something different ,maybe a sudden urge to explore with tints of fear and doubt, I penned down a plan for a 2 day solo trip to Lucknow.

March 3, 2019

Me and a friend(who had a different destination to reach) left at 5 sharp before the sunrise. 

Sunrises have always been my favorite part of the day. Always. The way dawn no matter how long exits wordlessly and within 10 minutes the sky is filled with light

It reminds me of liberation, that no matter how long the dawn is light can never be restricted.

And with this thought of never being confined by people or thoughts , while smiling to myself I looked back to the half constructed entrance of my college and took an e-riksha to the expressway where I would get my bus from.

I took the window seat as usual , with ‘phir se ud chala’ playing in my earphones

(I mean what could’ve been more appropriate than this to hear 

for a 19 year old girl who is up for her 

tiny little experiment with freedom!),

I gazed through the window at everything passing by and scribbled in it.

I’m about to reach my destination when I shuffle the pages of my diary to revise my itinerary where my well-researched food joints stare back at me in highlights. I talk to 2,3 localities and understand the way to Imambada. While in the CNG I smile and slightly pat my introvert self for talking to more strangers in a day that I had in the last 2,3 months together.

Reaching Imambada I meet Galib, coincidentally he is my age and drives an e-riksha to support his family. He agrees to take me to all the local tourist spots nearby and also click my pictures. The latter half of the sentence being my prime reason to go with him.

On our way I spot a man selling something I saw on the internet while doing my research for this trip. Yes, that’s him selling Makhan Malai which I excitedly buy and taste on my way in the e-riksha. “Muh me rakhte hi ghul jana” is what I’ll describe it with, though it tasted average. I take out my diary and put a big tick in front of Makhan Malai from the list of delicacies I have to try.

I visit all the local tourist attractions from Rumi darwaza to. At Bada Imambada I sit down and observe the families, tourists, couples, domes,tall trees and the sky.

It’s almost the evening and I move on hypnotized by my empty stomach to tick off more delicacies from my list .

  

I stop at this shop located right at mid of the hustle bustle of Cannaught, Lucknow. I order aloo-tikki without dahi. To my surprise it is served in this mitti ki katori and tastes like heaven. I move on to a hidden momos shop away from the busy lanes of Cannaught and have some spicy soupy momos at Nainital Momos(the best soupy momos I’ve had till now).

I remember stopping by and staring at this old book store which is fully stacked up with books.I remember thinking how much I love places like these.Places with more books and less people. 

I remember roaming in the streets of Lucknow at 9pm seeing shops getting closed and people chatting at the 24 hour open chai tapris. I remember penning down in my diary how Lucknow looked like  naked poetry that night.

Maybe it was just a city for the people there but for that 19 year old seeing how the night looked outside the hostel gates after 8 pm it was surreal.  

Today after 5 years when I look back and see a big tick after the ‘Don’t get lost there’ box and the final note of the itinerary saying ‘#got back till 6 on 3rd march 2019’, this 23 year old self which is struggling to settle down in life, rebelling within herself everyday to curate the life which she has always dreamt of feels somewhat at peace. 🙂

Anoushka ❤️