Settling into the Delhi NCR groove

Looks like we are slowly settling into the Delhi (or Delhi NCR) groove.

On Saturday, six of us from college had planned to meet up along with wives and kids. The day started out fine, but thunderstorms in the evening - followed by rain and drizzle in some parts - resulted in the last-minute cancellation of the plan.

So, what is your plan for the evening? a friend called to ask. I told him my only plan had just been cancelled and the evening didn't look too promising. Why don't you come over to Noida? I am going to RP's. I asked if RP knew that we would be coming. Don't worry, I call him up just now. This was nearly six in the evening.

RP is an old and common friend of ours and we have spent many evenings at his house. He used to be a journalist; then got interested in politics; then developed an interest in psephology; then caught the travel bug and visited different parts of India; then tried his hands at journalism again before shacking up with a political party's strategy unit.

He told me and the other friends - at this impromptu dinner - many interesting stories. Like this bunch of Tibetans who have been settled on a a plateau in Chattisgarh which is miles away from anywhere. Or this tribe that lives in the middle of the Gir Lion Sanctuary and is credited by some as playing an important role in the survival of the big beast there.

The stories were as fascinating as the ones I got to hear from my better half recently. She had gone to the border of Andhra Pradesh-Chhattisgarh on a mentoring project. The place is affected by the Maoist insurgency and she got to experience the "other India" from really up close - an India messed about with by those who govern and by those who claim to fight for the people.

Unfortunately, India media doesn't have much time for such stories. Neither the advertisers nor the marketers are interested. If TV News=TRP, News Programme Schedule = Sleaze, Sex, Crime. It is difficult to imagine the plight of those working in 50-plus degrees of temperature from the cool confines of 20-plus degrees TV studio. But then again, India is never in short supply of tantalising stories - Sania-Shoaib Wedding, Trouble At The Indian Premier League and now the Honour Killing Of A Young Journalist.

Anyway, that is a bit of digression. RP's house is undergoing renovation, but he made space wherever possible. The kids took over the only functional bedroom with TV. Some of us took over the functional part of the living. Some went over to the balcony and the rest to the functional part of the roof.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and we left RP's house nearly half past midnight.

Sunday brought another unplanned do. This time, my friend invited us to his house. He is my closest friend and we speak almost every day. We have met quite frequently but, in my seven months in Delhi, I haven't been to his house once. This would have never happened on my annual visit.

So, what are you up to today? he asked me. On hearing something that sounded like nothing much, he invited us over. I will call NR as well. He has a young girl and your little one can play with her.

The little one was excited by another day in the company of a kid. Because of her poor health, most of her last week was spent at home. And that does get really boring after a while.

Unfortunately, the friend could not make it till later in the day. So, the little one had to spend a couple of hours playing Bubble Breaker on my phone or watching kids' television.

As for us, we spoke on a range of things - including including domestic help. We would have four or five people working for us, my friend said. One maid does the cooking and cleaning. One maid dusts and mops up the house. Another maid comes to do the laundry and a guy comes to collect the clothes for ironing. Then there are handymen who I pay something extra to come in at short notice and do a good job.

The multiplicity of domestic help is obvious elsewhere in Delhi too. At any social function or on a trip to a park or a mall, families are always accompanied by maid/maids. At the school one morning, one of the Mums was asking another Mum: Why have you got two maids with you? The Mum replied: Oh, they will come on alternate days to pick up my kid. So, I need them to know the drill."

As more and more people join the workforce in India, time has become scarce and money comes in abundance. Apart from the usual housing and transportation costs, there is still enough left to engage individuals who could take the everyday pressures of life off you.

NR arrived with his wife later in the afternoon. Sorry, I couldn't get my daughter along as she was sleeping. The little one was crestfallen. You lied to me again. It was back to Bubble Breaker and kids TV for her as we got busy talking. Finding kids to play with is a much bigger problem in Delhi than it ever was in London/Reading.

Thankfully, the friend's daughter woke up reasonably quickly and was carted in. She is here, she is here - the little one chirped. There was finally someone to play with her. Helped by the grown-ups, the two girls played hide-and-seek for a little while.

The next day was Monday and we had planned to get back home early. As it turned out, the lunch invitation extended into a dinner invitation as well. My friend ordered some Chinese takeaway as NR got busy making a cocktail of Martini and Scotch.

It was nearly 10 or so in the night when we got back home.