Dear Benares,
Yes, I love you. I seriously do. And I don't think that I'll be able to get hold of you. I dont want my stroll from Assi to Dashashwamedh to end. I dont want the crowd of Gowdholia to go any lesser. I dont want to hear 'HOW ARE YOU?' instead of kaisan ba? And most importantly, I dont want you to become any of the metros.
Everything about you is intoxicating. The way auto-wallahs shout Lanka-BICCHU...Lanka-BICCHU... on your narrow roads, the way every Paan-ki-Dukan flourishes in your smallest of the corners, the way every building poses a threat of falling but still stands high on your rich history - you swept me off my feet.
I was very skeptic when I first sat my foot on your land as to how will I survive in this backward city. With lack of metro-like infrastructure, I thought I committed a blunder by deciding to come to this city. Most of my friends went to Bombay, Delhi and Kanpur and I came here - to YOU. Nevertheless I started liking you.
I live in the BHU campus and during my stay of 4 years here, I have tried my best to get to know you better and used to think that 5 years would be a considerable period of time to explore you completely. Now I realize how wrong I was. I have met people who came from distant land to know what's about you which is so attracting and believe me, even after 15 years, they are still discovering. They have made you their home. Now they dont wanna go anywhere. And now I am one of them.
My love for you was a gradual process. I have loved you in my idle sitting in the evening at Assi Ghat, in crossing the length of the Holy Ganga, in celebrating Dev-Deepwali, in eating Malaiyyo and in the morning prayers of saints. I found a bit in highly narrow alleys and other in people singing 'lalipop lagelu' :D. The rest is from Sangeet Samaroh in Sankat Mochan to Dhrupad Mela at Tulsi Ghat.
Though I'll be leaving you after a year but that will not change anything. You'll always have a special place in my heart.
from lie to truth...
from darkness to light...
from karma to moksha...
from being human to experiencing God...
from life to death...
...Benares.
HAR HAR MAHADEV!!!
P.S. jetna garam tohar khoon hau, okar dugna garam hamaar moot hau au jab moot deb dahiya ma fafola pari jai...samajhe na!!
