The joy of living in small cities

Can we imagine our life without Dominos, CCD, McDonalds and movies at PVRs? 

I know it is very hard for a typical metro boy to answer. 

Saahil lives in a Mumbai. He was going to his home to Saharanpur, a small city. Travelling in train is one such thing which he really loves as it gives him a chance to introspect.

He reminisced his childhood days. On some occasion at his home when he was 7 years old, he met with some of relatives from Delhi, Mumbai. Never, they miss a chance to harass the people living in small towns. If he go to movie theatre with them, they comment on the seats. On road, unmanaged traffic. During power failure, on power problems. In restaurant, they start complaining about hygiene.  He was very possessive about the city but never said anything, because he was so unsure of life in the metros during his childhood days.

But after spending few years in a metro, He feel like to live in a small city. Even in his city , dominos came, CCd also came. People say, it is developing but however, He don’t like these things. Too selfish of him, He  didn’t want the development of his own city. But the truth is that, He don’t want it to be commercialized. Why he don’t want it to be industrialized. He perhaps don’t know the answer. Sometimes back, he thought how good it would be if his city was also commercialized and he lives in his home town while working. But due to lack of jobs, he moved out and now, he don’t want it to be industrialized.  He fear that the city will lose its peace. If all this development like sky rocketed building, MNCs, chain of American restaurants came in this city, then he fear, where will go when he wants to escape from the real busy and stressful life of a metro. Whenever, he go to home and meet his some  old friends, they planned a party at Dominos. But, he always resisted to go the Dominos of his city.

On reaching home, people living nearby became very excited. His cousins are also always excited about the life in the metro. The best thing is that Saahil never boasted that he now lives in a metro city. They give him a lot of respect. People living nearby also came and  bombarded him with their own questions about big cities.

 “What metros?“ Saahil said. “Have you ever think a day in the life of the people living in the metro? They hardly get any time for anything. They are so stressed out.”

People started looking at each other with blank faces. 

He tried to cool them up and change the topic. He told them few days back, he spotted a Amitabh Bachan in Siddhi Vinayak Temple. Everybody became excited. 

Later, he went on to the terrace and thought about his childhood days. 

“Yahoooo, power chali gayi, Ab hum chat pe soyenge……”(Power cut, now we will sleep on the terrace)

He thought how excited he and his elder brother Samar became whenever there is a power cut. How he and his elder brother Samar  looked at the Sky and try to count the stars, how hard they try to recognize the constellations that their science teacher told them about. Few days back, he get a chance to meet the Avantika malik, the love of the protagonist of the ‘Just mohabbat’, and the first childhood crush of he and his brother. But he no longer excited about her. 

In small cities, life starts at 6 with a morning walk where people meet their friends and gossips. Then they have  a tea with wife. After that, husband go to work and wife, if working, go to job else continue doing household chores. At lunch, they meet again. Mostly, there is teaching job for ladies only and none else. It is possible for ladies to cook the food after their day ends at work. Husband again went back to office and then came back in the late evening. Then assist the children in their homework and watched some television soaps together. They never thought of Audi and BMW, they are not very ambitious people and love their Nano.

 In metros, life starts at 6. People wake up and get ready to catch an office bus at 7. At 9 , they reach office after spending 2 hours in traffic. During this time, some sleep deprived peoples catch some sleep, some readers take out their novels and some observers just watch out of the window for 2 hours and do nothing. They come back home by 9. If they have the energy left, made the food. Else ordered from outside. Enjoying in weekends, is a new trend, in metros. On weekends, there are different rules and prices in every restaurants, disc and PVRS.

In smaller cities, people generally don’t use this word ‘Weekend.’

He was watching the sky and lying on the bed. Perhaps, he had fallen asleep although his eyes were open.