Cop Turned Spook turns Maali and Looks Back

Being encouraged to write interesting bits of my experience as a police man and an Intelligence Operative by my Jeejai( sister's husband),I am tempted to look back and share a few pleasant memories, personal triumphs and disappointments.This week's blog carries just the seeds, or is the curtain raiser for short stories to follow.

I grew up in a Cantonment town ( Meerut) and studied for the most part in a school largely meant for children of Army Officers ( St Mary's Academy), perhaps the only 'Coed' school run by the Patrician Irish Brothers( Catholic))Society in India. My penchant for the uniform was,therefore,antural. The final choice of my career( police) was also guided by this. My first choice was the Merchant Navy after training at the " SS Dufferin" anchored somewhere in the Indian Ocean. The form along with the brochure for 'Dufferin' arrived at our home by post, as soon as I reached the qualifying age ( 15 1/2) and school level(10th). This eagerness to get set on my career path so early in life was driven by the twin desire of getting rid of studies( which never interested me much), and the spirit of adventure on the high seas, across nations. I would gaze for hours at the pictures in the Prospectus which accompanied the application form, imagining myself in a Sailor's shining white uniform, on board a ship as it sailed out magestically from the port.But alas it was not to be...

Maa knew about my fixation for a career in the Merchant Navy and I asked her to broach the subject when 'Pitajee' returned from his usual " Dauras" ( he was out on tour for 15 days in a month).She later told me that my father was not in favour of my seeking a career as a sailor. I pleaded with him, but to no avail". "It miight seem very glamorous and adventures at your impressionable age, but I know that a sailor's life is tough. Months away from home and the routine of deck scrubbing and peeling onions is not for you, my son", he said with the finality to which each in the family had learnt to bow.I considered the option of running away from home! But soon gave it up, since being a minor, I needed my father's consent for trying to get on board " SS Dufferin". I cried and sulked ( saying no to dinner when it was served and staying awake till late)for a few days. But my fever for the " Dufferin was soon replaced by ther more rampant fever in my school- the "National Defence Academy (NDA)" . Half my class had applied for it, and so would I( giving the Indian Navy as my first choice of service).The NDA forms also arrived after remitting a princely sum of Rs 20/= which my Mom, ever so generous towards me, gave me. The same melodrama followed. " No" said ' Pitajee'. "Please", I said, and I cried and sulked again, but not as much as I did for the " Dufferin".That is how I developed this strong sense of destiny, which I carry to this day.

There shall be more of the past in my future blogs, but for now the present...

Delhi's heat wave has been interrupted by the " Aandhis" which blow every evening.The IPL cricket fever is still on. They are yet to find a solution to the traffic mess created by the " BRT" corridor. The Delhi Chief Secretary has partially blamed the lack of traffic sense of Delhi road users for it.He is right, of course,and everyone knows it. But this is not a politically correct language for a "Babu" to use when the city is an election mode! Such is the hypocracy of Delhiites. Are we a pampered lot?

The glory of the summer flowering trees of Delhi tends to get buried under the haze of the overpowerng heat and dust. But I have captured them on my Nikon Coolpix in the few pictures of " Amaltash"( yellow ) and " Lagestreomia Flos Reginae ( mauve)and Champa Plumeria Alba/ Frangipani ( white ) in bloom: all growing in and around Moti Bagh which I am carrying with this blog, for your pleasure.

One has been enjoying the summer Sherbets like 'Khas', 'Rooh Afsah', 'Panna' and 'Phalsa' as also 'Mathha'or 'Chhach' ( buttermilk) and 'Thandai'( all old beat- the- heat presciptions), and eagerly awaiting the arrival of the better varieties of Mangoes from various parts of UP and "Lichees" from Muzaffarpur in Bihar and Dehradun in Up .Although the 'Sindooris' with reddish tinged skins have arrived, Banarsi 'Langras' or 'Maldas' from Deegha, as they are called in Bihar,'Dussehris from Lucknow ( Malihabad), ' Chausas'( the last to arrive) and 'Ratauls' from western UP, my fovourites, are yet to be seen. 'Hapus' or 'Alfansos' from Maharashtra score over all other varieties in terms of their longer shelf life and, therefore, their exportability, I personally feel that they are over- rated. My south Indian friends forever tell me that the varieties grown in Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh can match and even surpass the flavours of the north Indian mangoes named above. One has, of course, tasted the 'Baiganpallis' and 'Imam Pasands' from Andhra and also the "Neelams" from Salem in Tamilnadu. Perhaps they are not grown in such abundance as to find their way up to the fruit markets in Delhi. A pity!

The summer vacations in almost all schools and colleges in Delhi have begun. Therefore, the usual spurt in recreational activities.The IPL occupies the top slot, followed by the numerous Malls( Dewlhi must be having the highest density of Malls in a Metropolitan city) restaurants, pubs and movie halls. Just hanging out with friends in posh markets like CP, GK, Khan seems to the favourite past time of youngsters in Delhi, like elsewehere in the world.I wish there were more public swimming pools in Delhi for young Delhiites to get both healthy exercise and cool leisure which can't be beaten by any other.

The rush to the hill resorts like Shimla, Mussouri, Manali and Nainital must be on. These were cool locations and ideal summer get- aways for Civil and Defence Service Officers and rich business families from the Capital in the era gone bye.But they are hardly the places one would like to visit now, if one is looking for peace and proximity with nature.I know that a number of lesser known hill resorts like, Ranikhet, Bindsar, Landsdowne,Chakrata, Valley of Flowers, Gualdham, Auli, all in Uttarakhand now offer good facilties for tourists. But my country men and women like to follow the beaten path, till it is battered out of shape!And what is a holiday without good eating, drinking and shopping. The ladies of Delhi would particularly hate to be deprived of their favourite TV serials, even while on a hill vacation.So Shimla and Mussourie Mall roads are like big Melas in the summer vacations, and to keep them neat and clean becomes a challenge for the local civic authorities.One can still enjoy them in in spring and fall though.

Well folks, I think I have said enough for this week.


My best wishes and love to all