The Women by the Cemetery.

If you haven’t seen it, you must!! The York  Cemetery  ( The major part of the PrathviRaj Road Christian Cemetry)!! On the awkward side of the circle, off the start ( or end) of the PrathviRaj, Aurangzeb & Humayun road , on the Shah jahan Road & adjoining to the Khan Market!! Also, opposite to the Taj Mahal Hotel and near the Amrita Shergil marg, on the side of the Petrol Pump, oh- you get the place!!-) Incidentally, it also is the end & edge of the Devrish area of the Nizamuddin dargah!! Kind of the other extreme end of the Humayuns Tomb area!! I Guess the English needed to keep their distance!!-) & even from this issue, I can only guess the tough time Lutyens may have had incorporating all the symbolism required, into his city plan!!

However, locations apart, what makes the cemetery ‘English’, I guess, is that The Indian ‘English’ of the time of the English rule lie in peace there!! I am guessing the place must not have too many new occupants for a long time now!! . Buried here are, among-st others, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur & Lt. Col. Sir Henry Gidney-  known once as the doyen of prathviraj road!! To add to the cosmopolitan nature of the area are the contiguous Parsi & the Jew cemetery in it!! From the steady flow of the visitors that I see on days, it does look that whoever there are well visited!! & the florist outside sells the largest variety of flowers in the area.

What is also English about it is the brick boundary wall!! The linear spread of it, coped in stucco plaster & all cumulating in the gracious door design at the entrance. The opening of the entrance, thronged on both sides with pointed towers in brick, gives way to the view inside- of neatly laid out Quarters of vibrantly & imaginatively designed Tombstones. Ah- the tombstones- with designs that have a story of history  in themselves-is a matter on another day!!)  But the bougainvillea & the weeping willows, breaking the flatness of the immaculately laid out grass areas in between, are another reminder of the ‘English’ background of the denizens of this large property!!

But, but, but, that is not all what I set out to tell you. You could see it all on your own!! What you may not, is the story of the apparition of the women known to only those who go past this cemetery late night!! From the tales of who know, this is a women in a white saree, frail in description & with a face known to none!! It has been known to appear on the road adjoining the vast walkway on the side of the cemetery entrance!! Usually late night & most usually on foggy winter nights!! The Motorists, who swear by the apparition, tell about the suddenness with which it appears & the shrill accompanying noise!! & just as they have severed to save hitting against it, they have realized that they have actually been saved hitting into a speeding truck or such on the other side!! Of course, no one has seen beyond that, but the night residents of the taxi stand behind the hotel have heard the same tale may times over!!  But, Ah, in a city of djinns, what is but one apparition in a saree worth! Some saved lives, I Guess!!

The Humans of the Car Market.

As the Car stood jostling for space with the Garbage, making sure it stood outside it & yet leave just enough space on the road- I met these humans of the market. All same, all different- all belonging there!!

The Sardar gentleman!! Not sure if a boy or a men. In his orange tightly tied pagdi. With a scrawny beard, flowing only so much at the bottom. Poker marked face. Not too tall, & with a flowing pink shirt- breaking the dullness of the colors provided by the Cars!! Indians certainly like their cars in whites mostly!! Carrying a Bottle with visible Blue Liquid inside, this person wants to show how the product he is vending can remove all stains from the car body. He is carrying his entire supply in a brown cloth bag on his shoulder, and by the looks has been carrying it forever!! His body seems to have arched itself permanently in a way that it looks a part of his body proper!! Oh, Yes and his big smile!! Clean white teeth too!! I did tell him that I did not want his product. However, the friendly chap stays there, making me aware of the cars coming in. He wants me safe. & then Helps let me know the instruction of the mechanic- as to when to start & stop the engine!! I had to tell him again that I did not want his product. He again told me that that is all right!! & when we left, he left too!! The broad grin unchanged!!

& then the Battery duo!! Sent by the Battery shop owner to check the car battery. Both kind of same people- also in the sense that similarly difficult to remember for their looks. In Clothes that must be some kind of uniform for all the market workers- almost impossible to take a note of!! What is remember able is the efficiency & concentration of their job in checking & cross checking!! Diligent, focused & very informed!! Where do they get all this information from/!! That the battery is part of the original fitting of the vehicle!! & that too from a good distance of 5 feet!! & when told to give their non adulterated opinion on the performance of the battery they replied to what amounted to “ why would they not!! If a new battery is sold the person who is going to earn is the owner, not them”!! They sounded earnest!! & among these was the guy who was giving away the ‘bhagwad gita’ to the muslim contractor with me!! Only that I know that both of them were muslims too!!

Then the survey guy!! He came in very quietly, almost slyly, from somewhere and told us that he was surveying!! Holding a wad of photocopied papers in his hand- pencil in hand. He was dressed in Grey. I mean in the kind of clothing that can only look grey!! A Swarthy skin & hair that were neither silver nor grey!! Yes, the teeth were white!! He wanted to ask some questions about the battery & our choice. On my saying that I had to go somewhere & had little time, he said he d wait for us to come back!! & presto, he was there when we did!! Well, the questions were kind of basic- and he had the answers scribbled on most sets!! On finding my answers not in line with his, he changed a few of them, Ever so graciously!! Wasn’t really bothered- except that he wanted me to ensure that in case his supervisor called I was to let him know that he did survey me for half an hour!! Well, I was the one who was short of time!!) 

The market with no name. C/o N.O.I.D.A.

I am sure it has a name, but everyone insists its just the car market!! If I insist it has, then it must be next to the Gulmohar market, but a car market still!! Not that they sell cars there!! They actually repair them!! & going by the fact that the  cars are there, everywhere, in never ending rows & columns, in all directions & faces- till as far as the eye can see, in all stages of repair & dis repair- it must be a lot of cars that get hurt in the city!!

Well, since every car owner is bound to know it, it may only be of use to those its not of use, to know that it is opposite the Nirulas, behind the Savoy suites, below the new WTC building & in the general location of the sector 16, at Noida. Yes, Yes- its easy to reach!! & the roads inside were pretty wide once upon a time- a time before the cars came in for repairs!!! & now- they occupy every possible inch of the road!! But somehow, & that’s worth some study, no car ever gets stuck there!! They all move in & they all move out!! Call it some law, or just community participation of the cars & its people!!

It used to be a single storied market place. In neat rectangular rows, with an hierarchy & a close interspacing of roads!! Not that any of it has been lost- just hidden!! Behind the signage’s, the registration no. plates, the unused car axles, the no good tyres, the stacks of car batteries, the towers of boxed car speakers, engine oil, doors being painted & lots & lots of people!! & machines!! & Cars!! & more cars!! You go in & you’d know what this version of the “Bhul bhuliya” is!! Luckily for the new, the next door, not next really, glass & more glass building of the WTC lets you know where you are!! BTW, the WTC may actually claim this to be a part of its own trade operations!! The profitable part that is!!)

& then, in the middle of all this is the great garbage dump!! Well, it does have a dump in the memory of the efforts of the municipality to perform of its duties!! But, obviously it forgot!! So, there is garbage everywhere, of all kinds & no uses!! Of course, its used as an open toilet too!!  & the cars don’t mind!! The Humans need it!! The pigs just love it!! & the Changed oil in your car- guess it needs a place to go too!! This dump has its own morphology!! An active & ongoing struggle between the Garbage & the Cars- for space!! But don’t you make a value judgment on this please!! How else does your car get its bumper painted for one fifth the price of its richer cousin at the authorized workshop!! & you know these rich kinds anyways- not that they are “doodh ka dhula”-/ & FYI, they don’t sell the Chinese car tyres, or break pads!! We need them!!

You should take a walk!! Don’t worry about the dump!! The Chemicals, gases & the Oils have possibly killed all possible microbe life!! Its Safe there!!

& though they wont do it- I wish there was a study called the “Humans of Car market” initiated!! You d know that most come from neighboring towns! Are mostly of a particular community!! Can do almost all calls of repair- with no formal training in any of them!! & its not strange when a Muslim worker of a Hindu owned battery shop gives a ‘Bhawgad Gita’ as a discount for the Battery price to my Muslim contractor with me!! Because here, this issue of classification does not matter!!