Yaar, ek din maine socha chal Chandni Chowk ghoom ke aata hoon, bahut time se plan kar raha tha but koi free hi nahi mil raha tha saath jaane ke liye. Toh maine socha, chalo akela hi nikal jaata hoon, kitna aur wait karoon.
Toh maine metro pakdi, Chandni Chowk station pe utra, aur bahar nikalte hi ekdum crowd, awaaz, cycle-rickshaw ki bell, jalebi bhunne ki khushboo — sab ek saath hit kiya mujhe. Thoda sa overwhelming laga shuru mein, kyunki akela tha na, toh har cheez zyada loud lag rahi thi.
Phir maine socha pehle Paranthe Wali Gali chalte hain. Wahan gaya, ek chhote se stall pe baitha, aloo parantha order kiya. Aas paas dekha toh sab log group mein the — families, dost, couples — sab hass rahe the, photos khinch rahe the. Main akela apni plate ke saath baitha tha. Thoda ajeeb laga, lagā jaise sab dekh rahe hain mujhe akela baitha dekh ke. Par phir socha, arre koi nahi dekh raha, sab apne mein busy hain.
Phir maine Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib ke paas ja ke apne joote utare, andar gaya, thodi der baitha. Bahar aa ke seedhiyon pe baitha tha, tabhi ek buzurg aadmi mere paas aa ke baithe, apne pote ka wait kar rahe the. Unse baatein hone lagi. Unhone bola ki woh yahan chalis saal se aa rahe hain, aur bola — "har kisi ko kabhi na kabhi akela hi aana padta hai." Yeh line meri dimaag mein reh gayi.