Rewind: The revelation called New Delhi Railway Station.

I am back from India. It was a hectic, unfinished trip. I was in pain, ill, tired most of the time. During the rest of the time, I was upset I was all that. I was with my family, with my father, and mother, and my sisters. I am happy I went. I will write about the things I felt strongly about whenever I find time.

We went on a lovely trip in Northern India. The trip took us from New Delhi to Haridwar, Rishikesh, JoshiMath and Auli. I got to see a tiny glimpse of the unbelievably magnificent Himalayas. I saw heart-stopping gut wrenching, car wrecking dangerous roads, and brave people cruising them elegantly. What I remember most is some unbelievable glimpses into human nature.

We began with a very traumatic escape from the Hyena-looking, very desperate taxi drivers. It seems like such a ridiculous thing looking back, but even then, I wouldn't wish it upon anyone to reach Delhi Railway Station without your cousin to pick you up from the platform. I hated New Delhi Railway Station. There is not a more dirty under-maintained over-abused place in the world. Beginning from the police, everyone looked like crooks, who wake up in the morning and decide that they will cheat anyone who will take it. Their hovering around you, their following you silently from one dirty corner to another, tens of them surrounding you, when you are just figuring out what you want to do, it is scary. We were begging them, asking them, yelling at them to leave us alone and then running away from them. It affected our psyche so much, we fought amongst ourself for silly reasons after that. My sisters, probably they anticipated such a deluge, dealt with it better than I did. But, still, I bet it left a scar on all our minds. I am not kidding you. We ended up being cheated by a taxi-crook anyway.

I was so overcome with my disgust for this aspect of human behavior, that I failed to protect my family from its trauma and just withdrew in to a silent hateful bitterness. I was disappointed to see myself transform from a earthy i-can-take-it desi to a scared-clueless prey. Well, it is not like I don't know that the desperation of seeking a livelihood can make people break down all norms of privacy and dignity. I guess I was secretly wishing it would not be divulged to me in such a ghastly fashion. I am scared now that I have been away from India for too long.....