India Parks

Chapter 3: India! India!

32 women aged over fifty years, 16 old men, 25 kids and 13 of my cousins had come to receive us at the airport. I was a popular personality already and the government had made good arrangements for my stay. Far off I could see a policeman spit fiercely on the ground. This was the India I missed. I wish I could take it back in a frame.

“This way Sunny sir” said the driver.

“Sunil Verma” I said and got into the car.

My India trip comprised of, visits to all the major metros and meeting various people. I was more interested in the travel than meeting the businessmen. That afternoon the president of India had arranged for a lunch in my honor at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. It was one of the biggest moments of my life, much bigger than becoming the divisional manager and handling over a hundred Americans. I was received with garlands and a lot of respect. We went into a room and suddenly the guards asked me to stand up for the national anthem. That was the moment, I stood up and so did my son. “Jana Gana Mana adhinayaka jayahe…” sang the group of people as my son observed the tears roll down my eyes. The last time I stood up to the anthem was in school, it had been more than 25 years since. Needless to say I cried that night too.

I had to start my journey from the next day. The journey through the various parts across India gave me a very detailed insight into the actual India, its corrupt policemen, cheating retailers, road side pan shops, leaking houses, untarred roads, the countless potholes, roadside jelebi stores, the idli-dosa centres, cattle being sold, over flowing gutters, people spitting, autorickshaws with salman’s picture behind, loud music, vegetables sold on roads, rangolis, the smell or agarbatti, the road side chai wallas ah, I had them a lot. I had been instructed by Madhu not to be all patriotic and turn off the A.C and open my windows, but I could not resist. It was only when I opened the windows that I was connected to everything around me. The air smelt of a mixture of petrol, mud and burnt wood. India had changed a lot. I saw everybody with a mobile phone. A majority of them talking in broken English then were now speaking good English.

“Coke sir?” my driver asked.

“Sure” I said and got down from the car. We were in Mumbai, amchi Mumbai.

My driver got me a bottle of coke, and as I sipped some cold American carbonated water it reminded me of the fact that I had to go back to the US in a couple of days. My driver promptly paid the vendor and we set off. The next evening I was a day away from leaving. Jaideep and I decided to pay a visit to the nearby Dinosaurs theme park. I let Jaideep play by himself, I didn’t want to leave. Raqeeb told me that as soon as I reached US we were going to have a meeting with the Coca Cola Company. I reluctantly said yes, and asked him what he wanted from here.

“Kashmir, get me Kashmir” he said.

We laughed and cut the call. He was probably the only reason I could go back to the US. I was lost in these thoughts when Jaideep shouted “Daddy, look at these dinosaurs, they are so huge. I actually feel like I’m with them”.

BANG! Right then that moment something struck me. I looked around and was amazed. It was my Eureka moment. I could see everything in front of me very clearly.

“Come Jaideep! We have to leave” I said.

“But Daddy I like it here, I want to stay”.

I smiled at this, he was going to be amazed by what I was going to do next, so would Madhu and Mr. Obama, and the whole world.

INDIA PARKS was coming.