At Dhobighaat...

Far, far away from the pandemonium of urban life, there lie a topsy-turvy world oblivion to the city folks...You need not make an effort to reach there...You will be called for, when your time comes...Your feet will walk you there...Your eyes will find the direction...Don't even bother to ask "How far" or "Which way"...Your heart will tell you when you have reached there...One night, I was called there and since then I have returned there many a times, though not in person...

In the midst of all the mayhems of city life, lie a poignant place by itself, which people call "Dhobi Ghaat"...A rectangular blockade of water, surrounded by a stretch of concrete which in turn is surrounded by creepers and plants half grown, half neglected...The place itself is stingy, unkept, devoid of any brightness...But that's what exactly make it so serene, so calm...The only brightness that you might see is the flickering shadows of light floating in symphonic reflections from the surrounding apartments...On a lucky day you will see the moon smiling at you...

You park yourself on one of the benches alongside and you will see life unfolding in front of your eyes....Towards your right, sits a lone soul, motionless, deep in thought....so deep that his thoughts seem to float on the surface...his unkempt hair, his half-open book on his lap, his untied shoe string, all speaks about a life half-lived...Is he reflecting on his past or is he mulling over his future....you would never know....His eyes searches for some answers, the questions staring stark naked on his face....

If you look a little farther from there, your eyes will hold the beatific sight of an old couple...Their silence speak volumes, their eyes tell a story of life lived completely ... Their meloncholy of thoughts play itself in the look of their eyes...You feel profound and proud having shared few moments with the benign couple....

Move your head on your left and there you will see them...Two friends engrossed in the nostalgia of their past, each, describing their journey and how the chain of events has brought them together again - after ten years of separation...both of them having held themselves on a ray of promise to meet at this place...Can't you notice the small aura of celebration in the air surrounding them!!...

On a bench exactly opposite to you, a father helps his disabled young one to take little steps in what would be a long journey...the young one too terrified to take that small step, too innocent to understand the meaning of fall and pain...You cannot but help yourself send a little prayer for the toddler.....

As you gather your belongings and walk towards the gate...you take along with you, the search of the solitary soul, the bliss of the young couple, the love of the friends, the helplessness of the young father and... last but not the least, the innocence of the child....

Life would play itself again with the same emotions on another day with another characters...A part of you would remain there forever on the concretised path of "Dhobighaat" to watch it for one more time...