Dilli Waale

I have always wondered what is so peculiar about us Delhiites that makes us so different from others. Our accent, for one, is different. But that is definitely not the defining criteria. Any place we go in India, one question keeps on popping at us time and again - "Bhaiya, delhi se ho?" And that is not even a question. It is more of a statement. Earlier I used to be astonished on the recognition since to me most north Indians would look like us only. But then I realized its not the accent or the looks, but the way we carry ourselves.

Delhiites have this, referred to as in local lingo, Chaud, that keeps oozing out of us at all times. We do not settle for anything that even meekly tarnishes our respect for ourselselves. As proud as we are, we take almost everything offensively. Most of the things boil down to our izzat, and 'tera bhai kisi se kam nai' is our way of life.

But then this is true for only the true Delhiites, which now we hardly see. Most of the people living are are from neighboring states and have culminated their fashion into ours. Should you care to separate the few that have their roots lying deep in Delhi, you'll realize they are all the same.

And so the following are some of the qualities you will find only in us:

1. We have to win. Baat izzat pe aajati hai.  So if you are playing Dumb charades with a mixed group and even if the other team consists of your elders or bosses, you would not hesitate in mocking them.

2. We cannot let anyone else overtake us on road. Baat izzat pe aajati hai. So what if you are driving a Swift and the car that just flew by was a BMW, you just have to beat him and then sport that curly lip smile.

3. We will seldom take the initiative to correct a fight. It was not my fault. Why should I talk first? He should realize he was wrong. Bhaad me jaaye sala.

4. We create an arrogant first impression. Why? Because we think we are superior to all others. Why? We don't know. But we are.

5. We have this intolerable urge to show off. Well, it may be less than a few neighboring states, but then we don't sit back either. We are cool, you know.

6. We may hate hard rock and death metal, but if there is a gig in town you will find us there headbanging.

Only if you have stayed away from Delhi for a while will you realize what people all over India think of us. We may be good at heart, make the best of friends or have the maximum amount of fun, but all this counts for nothing if we do not create a good first impression. Because that is usually the last impression.

Mostly true. Isn't it?

The changing face of every society

Once there was an old-young man called Culture. He often sat under a tree in his garden and ponder over the decisions he had made in life. Years and years of experience had transformed him into a new being.

He had the curse of living forever.

Centuries ago, he fell in love with a beautiful young woman called Society. Her mesmerising charm shook culture by its roots and it wasn't long before they were bound by the shackles of love. Together, they gave birth to three babies. The eldest son was named Liberty, who grew up to be a spoiled brat. He was pampered a lot by Society that made him arrogant, mean and selfish. 

A few years later came the twins; an innocent boy named Sacrifice and a beautiful little girl called Adjustment. Right from their childhood, Sacrifice and Adjustment were very close to each other because they had so much in common, as was usual with twins all over.

However, they hated their elder brother Liberty.

Liberty was never really liked by anyone in town and it was because of him that Sacrifice and Adjustment were hated too by everyone. And it was because of this that they were not too fond of Society either, They felt that it was because of Society that Culture had not paid much attention towards cultivating Liberty. Liberty would always get what he wanted and it was often because of him that the twins suffered, as they belonged to the same family.

One day they both made a plan to end this suffering. They asked for help from their good friend Attitude, a foreigner. Attitude agreed to help them bring Liberty back on line. He decided to imbibe some sense into Culture and thought of a plan, where his main motive would be to reduce Society's influence on Culture so that Culture could tighten his grip on Liberty and not let him misuse the power he had. Attitude arrived at their place accompanied by a friend, a lady story teller of breathtaking beauty. Her name was Modernisation. 

Culture, having the power of living forever, had not grown old a bit all these years. Society, on the other hand, had started showing signs of ageing, Her face had wrinkled and a streaks of white hair had become prominent. When Modernisation first met Culture, she got him slightly perturbed with her magnetic charm. Being the storyteller she was, she narrated tales of the land she was from. Attitude helped her add spice to the tales and inspire Culture with awe. 

The tale of Modernisation in the west had left Culture completely surprised. He had never heard such stories before. Soon enough, Modernisation started influencing Culture and his focus started drifting away from Society. Society, thus, grew jealous of Modernisation as she felt that it was because of Modernisation that Culture had lost interest in her. 

Such was the influence now that Culture had totally immersed in Modernisation and would agree to whatever she said. In one of her stories, she told him how Liberty was affecting Adjustment and Sacrifice's happiness. He realised his mistake and pledged to correct things from thereon. Culture, being the head of the family, took away all the powers he had given to Liberty. This enraged Liberty like anything and he left his father forever. Society, who had always favoured Liberty since beginning, left him too.

Since that day Society has always been against the Modernised Culture.

Modernisation too left Culture soon to go to another land where she would find more such Cultures to influence. Thus the poor old man, still young in looks, was only left with Adjustment and Sacrifice by his side. But the twins were happy now.

And today Culture is sitting under the same tree wondering what went wrong. Why did Society leave him? Should he not have corrected Liberty and brought peace to his own children? Should he not have listened to Modernisation? 

Little does he know that all this was inevitable. Every few years he will meet a new Society. And every generation will give rise to a new Modernisation that will influence him against her.

This is the changing face of every society.