Having grown up in Delhi and having put up major tenure of my stay in North India , winters occupy a special place in my heart and mind. The warmth of the quilt , the serving of hot steaming tea , the ringing of Christmas bells and the jubilation and festivity of new year grandeur add th xing to the mood. Moreover the winters are the time when I start appreciating the bounty of nature's beauty in all its might unleashed but previously not taken cognizance by the ever sub concious mind. Then how else can you explain that sunlight so omnipresent but registered and taken delight only in winters. Wow what an ecstasy it is to get your body served the warmth in the countering presence of chill.
Winters more than for anything else is well rounded for bringing an aura of laziness , of a laid back attitude . It is the period of time where we realize that getting immersed in the daily chores is not the sole purpose of living. Making money, constant bickering over minutest of things just do not let us see the big picture of charm , splendor that lies untrodden by our tangent eyes. The pain of leaving the warmth of the quilt to face the might of winters in all its Armour equipped fully is a nightmare we fantasize avoiding. The coyness of having every one of our loved ones in our company watching a movie with all the winter gears on , is a delight.
Talking of winters how can we forget the blinding that engulfs Delhi. It is heavenly gift bestowed on Delhi . With visibility playing truant , cancellation of flights is too small a price to pay for the picturesque delight we see unfold before our eyes if we are on late night or early morning drive. It makes you secluded from the world , you can afford to be yourself , the world is not watching you. Strolling through the fog brings a degree of adventure into our lives devoid of anything remotely linked to adventure.
Especially winters are the time when whole of North India is out in the open , blazing its frozen body under the glowing firmament in the sky that plays hide and seek , much when the desire is there for it to not do it. Talking of winters and sun , it would be unpardonable to not mention the goodies of groundnut, jaggery products that awash the markets as well as the pockets of children , who on their mother's insistence play obedient and dutiful child.
Winters of Delhi have a regal charm associated with them . The end of Raj has not completely brought the legacy to an end. Infact whatever traces remain , I have a lurking feeling they find a vent out in the winters. There is definitely a theory but it is too loosely bound , mentioning it now would amount to inchoate talk.
Winters are the time when events such as fairs , book festivals are scheduled on a regular basis to make people come out . In Delhi Trade Fair is another big catch for the ones looking to get a glimpses of the future of trade and commerce. It brings to the city a businesslike ambiance that to the abhorrence of average Delhite we decry Delhi of in comparison to Mumbai.
Another common but more ugly side is the stark contrast people at the struggling end of making a decent living feel . Rudimentary shelters , insufficient infrastructure to fight the vagaries of nature and lacuna in the winter clothing's feel the pinch all the more severely. Every now and then the news channels relay people succumbing to frost bite. In a civilized society , this is such a bad commentary on the state of affairs. It is a reminder of the stark differences that exist in our society when a group of people barely clothed enough to fight winters , letting the heat of faintly glowing garbage remains provide comfort ,albeit temporary to them.
