A Small Change in the Life of a Waiter in a Restaurant

While living in Delhi for almost a year, I had to change places to live. After I started living in Lajpat Nagar, I chose to have my dinner in a small restaurant in my neighborhood daily. Although the place is not a huge eatery, it serves mouth-watering food, at least for a few things in their menu. A boy, maybe 14-15 years of age, diligently works at the place, and manages the huge crowd single-handedly. The office-goers are regular visitors of this place, even the locals who do not want to cook at home sometimes. So the crowd is always quite much and this little boy is always busy running from one table to the other.

When I first started going to the restaurant, the name of which, I still do not know, it took the chotu ages to deliver the food to my table. However, the food was delicious, so I could not complain of the delay at all. While I enjoyed the meal comprising kadhai paneer with naan, I heard people calling the chotu with names like bhaiya, hello, bhai, etc. He did not feel angry at even a single customer and served everyone with patience and a pleasant smile, and he impressed me for sure. I kept going to the restaurant for a while and then asked for his name one day. He said, “Krishna”, and ran away to serve other customers.

Although it was not a big deal for me to call him by his name, I saw him smiling even more whenever I called him Krishna Ji rather than Krishna bhaiya. Calling someone bhaiya sounds derogatory to me, so I always called him Krishna ji whenever I had to ask for something. I would call him and ask to place an order rather than being plain rude to him. He would stand at my table for a couple of extra seconds, smile, and then run to the kitchen to tell the cook what I wanted. My order would be on my table in not more than ten minutes.

I had to go for a week-long trip on two Self-Drive Cars in Delhi with my seven colleagues to Kasol. When I returned to the restaurant for a dinner on Sunday, I saw a tremendous change in everyone behavior. Everyone at the place had begun calling him Krishna ji instead of using random belittling names. Krishna came running to me and presented a large Cadbury chocolate to me, which he had bought a couple of days ago. He said, Thank you Sir, English me isse zyada nahi bol paunga”. (Thank you Sir, I cannot speak more English than this)

I could not resist hugging that innocent child and I could feel my eyes slightly welling up with tears. I could feel that he wanted to attain a respectable position in life, but was stuck with a meager job where people did not even call him by his name. He felt immense respect when he heard his name with a Ji as a respectable suffix. He thanked me for starting the custom of calling him by his real name, and I returned the thanks for honoring me.

How Beggars Can Be Funny in India

The scenario of beggary is quite bad in India as it is in many other developing countries. Although I do not like the behavior of beggars with the locals and tourists, I cannot ignore their immense sense of humor and sarcastic tone of language. There have been several incidences when the panhandlers have turned sarcastic if their stubbornness to fetch money does not work. One such instance comes to my mind when I was traveling to Pune with my friend.

My college friend, Shikha, is a gorgeous looking girl, and she has been in touch with me for more than seven years now. In most parts of India, if a man is just standing with a girl, almost everyone assumes that they are in love. I am not talking about the hamlets of the country; this judgmental thought process prevails even in the metropolitans. We had planned a trip to the mountains with a couple of more friends, and we were to meet them on the Hong Kong lane in Pune. Since Shikha could not think about anything but shopping in the market, I decided to devour on some pav-bhaji.

I was silently enjoying my food while admiring the young crowd in the bazaar. Even though I had no intentions of entering even a single shop, I could not help but visit a couple of outlets that looked promising. However, I was tired of shopping in just a few minutes, and I decided to call Shikha. She, thankfully, answered and promised to stay with me until everyone else came.

As we were talking while enjoying our glasses of watermelon juice, a little child around seven years of age comes to us. He has a beautiful smile, but his clothes reveal that he is a beggar in the market. As he asks for some money, I cannot help but refuse since I do not encourage beggary, no matter what. He starts pulling my pants and says, “Bhaiya, paise do na." His act irritates me, and I try to shun him to go away while saying sorry to him.

He again pleads and blesses us saying, "Aap dono ki Jodi bani rahe” meaning may God bless you two to be together. I laugh at his words and tell him that the girl is not my girlfriend. He stops smiling and shows sympathy towards me saying, "Bhaiya wo to lag hi raha hai” meaning it was quite obvious to him. I ask him shocked what he meant by his words. He walks away while uttering, “Didi kafi achi hain” (Sister looks quite good).

I stood fixed in the ground while the savage child walks away, and I can hear Shikha in the background, laughing and rolling on the floor. I knew that I was slain for the day, and she will narrate this incident to everyone coming to meet us. Even I could not help, but feel impressed by the high levels of sarcasm running through the veins of every person in India, or Pune, I would say. I rested on my Self-Drive Car Rental and waited for the time when everyone would come and make lame jokes on me. Pheewww!

How a Road Trip to Gujrat Changed My Life Forever

It was a road trip in a Volvo bus, not in a car, as I had planned, but I am happy I went for it. My fellow passenger was a kind lady, whose words of wisdom swayed me to propose to my long-term girlfriend. My girlfriend and I had a long-distance yet romantic affair for more than four years. I belong to Gujrat, particularly Ahmedabad, where I met Ayesha for the first time. After college, I had to move to Mumbai for higher studies, which was the beginning of our long-distance relationship. As the time passed, I completed my masters in IT and joined an MNC in the Maximum City. Just when we had started thinking about tying the knot, I had to take the transfer to the USA.

Even though I was working in an international company, they were not paying me well. Moreover, I did not own or even rent a home in Mumbai; my company had given me an accommodation where many of their employees stayed. Among the various reasons that my girlfriend and I had to get married as soon as possible, the need to spend the maximum time together was the topmost. Family pressure and social reasons took the backseat for us, but we were desperate to live with each other. Above all, whenever we talked about marriage, I would say that we need more financial freedom than now to enjoy our time well. So she kept quiet and understood my circumstances.

My trip to India

Fast forward a couple of years, and I came to India for my annual leave. I went to my office in Mumbai and then headed off to a road trip to my hometown. Although I had planned to hire a Car Rental to spend some good time with my family and Ayesha, I could not get one on time. Nonetheless, when I took my seat on the bus, the motherly co-passenger of mine gave me a warm smile and welcomed me to sit beside her. I took my aisle seat and got to know that she was an African-American lady who was going to Ahmedabad to meet her grandson. Given all her experiences in life, it was fun to talk to her about history, philosophy, and travel. Yes, she was a well-traveled person who wished to see more of the world before she embarked to heaven.

How she changed my thinking

Sometimes, just a few words from someone can change your entire thought process. When I told her about my girlfriend and our delayed plans of marriage, she just said a few words to turn around my mind. She said that instead of building my empire alone and then welcoming her into it, I must wed her first and then develop our empire together. The bumpy ride to our common destination will be much more fun than just enjoying the fruits of our individual efforts when we would be too old to do so. The rest is just history… we have three kids at present as we enjoy building our realm in California.

Why I Love Bangalore More than Any Other City in India

No matter where we are born, a village or a vast metropolitan, the place always remains close to our hearts. Then comes one place in the nation that accommodates everyone from every part of the world; such is the city of Bangalore. People from various cities and countries come to Bangalore to build their respective careers, and many make it their home forever. When you have lived in the City of Gardens for a long time, it becomes impossible to take it out of your heart.

The memories of school

The friends that you make in college and school are often the ones you can never leave, despite the number of fights and arguments you have. There was a friend in school, Alisha, with whom I used to commute. We used to have lunch at her home; her mother cooked delicious food for us, and I returned home around 6 pm only after attending tuitions with her. When you spend such length of time every day with a person for years in a row, it becomes impossible to take that person out of your heart. Although life happened, and we happened to live in different cities for college and job, we still meet once or twice in a year and cherish the time we had spent together in our childhood.

College in Mumbai was even more exciting than the time in school. I made quite a few friends in the college, went to parties with them, and a few vacations as well. However, despite staying for a few years in Mumbai, I still prefer to be in Bangalore any day.

What is great about Bangalore?

I have been to several metropolitans in the world such as the New York City, London, Mumbai, Paris, etc. Not everything about these places is as good as it seems. People seem to work all through the day and night, and still, they cannot find peace. It is my personal opinion that you have to be crazy about the materialistic things if you want to live this maddening life. I cannot live to work; I like to work only to sustain myself a reasonable standard of life. An existence without greed is the one I prefer, and I can have all of what I want in Bangalore.

In my hometown, I can travel domestically and internationally. It gives me the opportunity to drive fancy cars (not to mention the traffic jam), buy designer clothes and handbags, have decent investments, and still save for my holidays. I can rent Self-Drive Cars Bangalore in various models to drive to multiple neighboring places and have the time of my life with my friends and family. What else do I need in life? I don't want to live a dissatisfactory life where I can afford to live in a huge mansion, but my mind is not at peace.

I have been brought up with fundamental human values that my parents and relatives have given to me. They always taught me to stay away from a paycheck-to-paycheck sort of life, which I often see people doing, especially abroad. It makes no sense to me to pay a fortune for the rent of a beautiful apartment in a luxurious city when I can pay the EMIs for my house in Bangalore. My home city gives me a chance to live a modest yet modern life, and never forget my roots. People make their own choices in their lives, and I have made mine to live in Bangalore forever no matter what. 

Talking About My Experience of RVing in India

I had put a lot of thought before coming to India and putting my life's earnings in an RV to travel around the country. India is a vast country, and I wanted to explore it thoroughly while staying for several weeks at a place. Working online for a publication house lets me be in any corner of the world, and still make a decent living. Nevertheless, investing in an RV is a crucial decision, but I decided in favor of it because I did not want to spend a fortune on hotels and guest houses for the next three years in India. Despite the ups and downs of traveling in an RV with my friend, Sunny, I love my life and would like to continue it, maybe forever.

Small space

We knew it already that traveling in an RV means we have to adjust in very congested area for a long time, maybe years in length. However, when we first entered our RV in Pune, we were shocked to adjust to the presence, rather absence, of things. Bunk bed is tiny, hardly any space to walk around, the basin is too small to wash the dishes, and I don't want to talk about the little bathroom and toilet! Nevertheless, living in such a small space has taught Sunny and me to be minimalistic. We have learned to live with minimum possible means, and expect less from people. We can be okay with just a few of clothes for the entire season, and the changes in trends do not bother us. With just a few ingredients, we can manage to cook a wide range of cuisines. That reminds me, traveling around the country has made us an expert cook in a variety of local cuisines.

Full-time vacation is a myth

My peers back there in the hometown think that I am a full-time traveler who has got a lot of funds to travel the world for months. However, the truth is that I have to set up a routine to wake up, eat, work, and sleep. Otherwise, I will not be able to sustain myself and bear the expenses of being on the road. I wake up early each morning, do my morning prayers, eat my breakfast after the bath, and then sit down to work for 5-6 hours. Although I can take breaks during my office hours, I don't do it because I have to spend 2-3 hours in the evening to complete my work. I prefer to finish my office work in time so that I can enjoy my evenings without any stress. I have also allotted week offs and holidays for myself to live a normal life. Even if I get to travel forever without worrying about money, I cannot do it because it feels so useless to live like that. I like to work and then take a holiday than do it vice- versa. 

By now, I have been to thirty Indian cities with Sunny, and none of us feels tired of that. We enjoy our lives on the road and look forward to experiencing more of that. In the initial days, I used to maintain a record of places we have visited and things we have done. However, now I feel that I will never be able to see everything no matter how many years I spend behind the wheel. While I have also traveled in Car Rental Pune, local train in Mumbai, and buses around the state; I love RVing like nothing else and will continue to do so.

A Night Well Spent Wandering on the Outskirts of Mumbai

Sometimes, you don't feel like doing anything at all. Everything you can think of seems to bore you to death. Boredom strikes you even more when you do not live with anyone, and you are an extrovert. The problem with me is that I cannot find a suitable person to share my apartment, which has many side-effects including boredom. I was getting this feeling one Saturday evening in my home in the Andheri region of Mumbai. I just could not stop my mind from racing, and thinking about things I did not want to think about. I had to do something to get my mind at peace, but everything seemed humdrum.

After calling a couple of friends to have a party, and failing at it, I decided to go for a drive. Did I tell you that I do not have a car? My bad! I don't have a car! So how could I possibly go for a solo drive without a car? Not-so-thankfully, people in Mumbai do not like to share their cars with anyone, so there was no chance of borrowing a car from someone. Without thinking for a second, I decided to rent a car for the night. The car arrived in two hours, and since it was off-season going on, I got the car at a heavy discount. Nonetheless, that is a different matter.

I took the car keys from the company representative, locked the doors, and set off for a solo drive for the night. Before I get into the details, I must tell you that it was one of the most amazing times I had spent with myself. I have been on solo trips to the mountains and beaches, but never for a drive before that night. Drinking alone while driving was out of the question, so I decided to drive sober.

The chai-break

After driving on the outskirts of Mumbai for more than two hours, the first break I took was at a roadside chai-vendor. I asked him to give a masala chai with a rusk as I sat down on a big stone beside he was standing. The best thing about Mumbai is the safety and peace of mind this city gives to females. The chai-wala had his wife and daughter with him. The daughter was studying under the traffic light as her mother prepared food for her family. I asked the man about his hometown; he told me that his name was Bhola and he belonged to Agra. He had come to Mumbai with big dreams for his family as his hometown had nothing to give to them. They were very generous people; as I sat there for an hour or so, they even offered me food. I did take a bite of the delicious lauki ki sabzi that the lady had prepared, but it was now time for me to depart from there and let the family have their alone time. 

The drive

For some weird reason, I did not feel tired driving the car rentals Mumbai for another three hours. I must have driven for more than 200-300 kilometers that night, but I did not feel tired at all. Just one more cup of chai at another vendor kept me going. I was just listening to music, looking at the sceneries around me, the trees and animals on the hills, and just driving at my own pace. Spending alone time sometimes feels so peaceful that you do not want to do anything else on earth. My friends still call me a weirdo for doing something as crazy as that, but I can always call that night as one of the best in my entire lifetime.

How I Prepared For a Trekking Holiday with My Friends

Failing at something is more humiliating to yourself than it is in front of others. I had been to Chadar Trek with my friends last year and failed at it miserably because I was not strong enough to cope with it. I hate to admit that I used to be a chain smoker, and this miserable habit had taken its toll on my health. Even when I used to be in Delhi, I could realize that other people around me were healthier than me. While they could easily walk a kilometer or two, I would look for my car keys even for a small distance. 

When I would see my friend, Shreya, walking from the metro station to her office and home, I would ridicule her for saving a meager amount of money on auto-rickshaw and cabs. However, she would give just one argument that walking keeps her active an fit. I realized the futility of my lethargic lifestyle when Shreya trekked up kilometers in just a few minutes without panting, and I could barely walk up a few meters. In the end, I had to say that I cannot complete the trek, and I would wait for my friends at a hotel at the base camp. It was incredibly humiliating to wait for them all alone in the dreary hotel room where I could not even access the network, while all my friends were enjoying on top of the hills. This was the time when I realized that I need to work on my body immediately. Over and above, I resolved to quit smoking straightaway. 

How I built strength in a year

Saying it to myself that I would strengthen my body and leave smoking was easier said than done. I could not fathom the mighty force to wake up at 5 am on the first day of my fitness regime. However, the body weight of 95 kilograms somehow pushed me to wake up and get set to go. I had already taken out my running shoes, joggers, and a t-shirt so that I do not feel lazy because of this small errand in the morning. Anyway, the first two weeks of jogging were terrible for me as I had to literally force myself out of bed to go for a walk and run. 

After two months of plain jogging and mild exercises, I started working on my strength of legs. After reading extensively about trekking and physical fitness, I knew that I needed to work on my legs. I had already modified my diet and lost a few kilograms, and then I began squats! This awkward position of half sitting and standing on my knees could not have been more difficult for me. It took me another two weeks to gain strength to do three sets of 8-10 squats.

Did I succeed?

Yes, I did. How could I not succeed after a complete year of running, jogging, and exercising? Leaving smoking was not easy, but as I felt the positive changes inside my body, it became easy to stay away from the smoke. I am happy to boast today that the smoke of cigarette or even sheesha irritates me now, and my friends are glad to see this positive change in me. So I made a plan to go for a trek with Shreya and gang again, and this time the destination was Triund, which is a moderate trek. We looked around to rent a Car but decided to go by train. And nothing makes me happier to proclaim that I finished the trek, and that too easily! Voila!

Buy Diamonds in Delhi with Just a Few Bucks in Pocket

What is the definition of a diamond? It is something that you can wear on your hands or neck once in a while and be happy that it shines brightly in a party. It is meant to make you happy at the end, which I suppose anything else can do as well. In my opinion, food is something that gives me equal happiness as diamonds. I am a big-time foodie, and l like to experiment with foods all around Delhi. Rather than spending one lakh bucks on a piece of tiny stone, I would rather be happy with bare hands and spend that money on life experiences.

Food travel rather than anything else is my cup of tea, and I can spend any amount of money on it. Travel, at least in India, costs much less than diamonds, and it suits my current state of earning. I would surely buy a diamond for myself rather than expect it from my guy, but I want to win many more experiences before that. Let me share a few instances when I had the best time of my life, in addition to delicious food, in Delhi.

The Qila  

The Qila is situated in Qutub Institutional Area in a quaint region in Delhi. I just love this area because of the peace it provides. Being there with my spouse before marriage for a romantic candlelight dinner was one of the most breathtaking feelings ever. It was the time when I did not know him much, and we talked for an hour on the terrace of the restaurant under the full moon. The best thing about the place is that no one disturbed our piece as we stood there in each other’s arms watching the moon. Nowhere in Delhi or India have I experienced such a place where I can sit with my partner for an endless time without any interruption. 

When we returned, we were welcomed with complimentary snacks, to begin our wine. The bread, I must say, tasted delectable with the sauces. The quantity of food is not what you look for at such places, but the experience of being with someone you love with all your heart. The time spent at a restaurant like The Qila is much more precious than anything in the world. I still look at the lone picture we got clicked from a person, and the smile on our faces is priceless. No diamond in the world can give me that smile when I wear it, but looking back at those memories can. After we got married this December, we still rent a car without driver every time we wish to have a fantastic drive and have a great time together. Again, the feeling of being in each other's company is the most precious feeling for me. Yes, I would like to have many more diamond-like candle-light dinners in future with my bae in all corners of the world.

How I Conquered Acrophobia in Rishikesh

Feeling scared at the gorgeous mountains of Rishikesh was the worst feeling ever in my life! Conflicting emotions were going on in my mind. On the one hand, I was enjoying the feeling of being there on the breathtaking mountains and taking delight in the soft wind streaming past me. On the other hand, I knew that I had to go for Bungee Jump in a few hours, and just the thought of jumping from a height of hundreds of meters was taking my breath away. My friends were talking about the rush of adrenalin in their bloodstream, and I could feel my throat getting choked.

I have seen people jumping at the thought of going for skydiving, bungee jumping, and whatnot. But acrophobia is something that never lets me think about any such activity. I had never agreed to enroll for the bungee jump in Rishikesh, but my buddies had signed up for me as well along with them. During the entire journey in our Car Rental that we had taken from Delhi, I was googling about the ways to overcome acrophobia. Everything I read went into my mind, but it was hard for my heart to accept that I would have to take a huge, actually more than just huge leap! 

Nevertheless, I had already paid for the bungee jump, and I had to do it this time. I had already skipped many such activities in the past just because I did not want to be at an altitude in my life. Let me share how I finally overcame this fear of heights before and after coming to Rishikesh. 

· Seldom would I go to the hills before I had agreed for coming to Rishikesh. In Delhi itself, I had started increasing the height of places where I would hang out with my friends. Inch by inch, and then meter by meter, I was finally standing on a small hill at Purana Quila in the city. The monument is a historical delight, and while scaling a few meters each time, I noticed myself standing at a significant height. I saw the view of Delhi from there, and spend half an hour there just alone. Being alone and safe gave me the courage to go for more heights in future.

· After being on the heights, I tried to test myself in the water and sea. While being on a beach once in Chennai, I let myself be when I had to be in the water for a long time. I attempted my level best to stay determined to face the waves even when I did not like them much. 

· After a few such attempts on the hills and waters, I noticed that my condition was improving. I decided to go to the higher elevations, and I chose Rishikesh as my destination. However, my besties knew about my irrational fears, and my attempts to conquer it. They booked the bungee jump for me, and all I could say was a weak No.

While we were waiting for our turn for the jump, I meditated as best as I could. Finally when my turn to jump from a terrifying height came up, the trainer at the spot told me not to look down at any cost since I was sweating badly. They said to me in advance that they would not push me at any expense. If I had to prove myself, I had to leap on my own. I knew that I could not let myself down, and finally, after being there at the jumping spot for more than five minutes, I did the bungee jump. Finally! I was liberated from my fears of heights when I landed safely, and the staff took off the ropes and body harness.

We took our two Self-Drive Cars from the parking, and throughout my journey to home, I felt my heart feeling freed from all the inhibitions I used to have. The “I’ve Got Guts” badge that I got from the jumping site still flaunts on my desk in office!