Escaping Escapade

I am safe home and miraculously escaped serial bomb blasts that rocked the capital city this evening. Really a narrow escape of sorts and I am lucky that I am safely back home.

Its kinda usual to catch up with friends or go for a movie on a weekend. And this Saturday was no different. I started the day with some phone calls to plan the weekend while browsing the morning newspaper. Movie I was interested in was not part of a common agenda so it was ruled out. But a get together was planned.

And our hang out zone for this weekend was as always the heart of the city which we fondly refer as CP (Connaught Place) . We still call it CP despite a more Indianized name of 'Rajiv Chowk' as it's become part of our vocabulary. We met and had a good time. Soon it's time to return.

I am for some reason fond of public transport and prefer taking metro rather than hiring a cab or an auto-rickshaw (equivalent to tuk-tuk). And since CP and my place are bang on the metro line its much preferred. And as usual I planned to take a train on my way back home. But for some reason I hovered around that place and stayed back to meet an old acquaintance (I used to live there and had lived almost for two decades in that area) .

Thus I escaped the twin blasts in CP.

If I had not for some reason NOT remembered that occasion and NOT decided to pay him a visit, I would have definitely be near the Central Park in CP around the time the blast was clocked.

I was so oblivious of the tragedy even when I was on my way back until suddenly my phone rang (it was jammed for well over an hour) and my dad broke the news. By then things were under control. And when I was walking down those lanes of Lutyens' Delhi (I like to walk those lanes; it brings me nostalgia from my childhood days), I was the only soul walking down the street.

Now the BIG question was: how do I get home?

My friends have already gone home, so no cars for me (and I don't drive). Delhi is on alert and all shops are closed, all street corners are deserted. My options were: a) to get in one of those crowded public buses and go bonkers with the thought of a blast on the bus for an hour (it takes an hour to reach my place on a bus); b) wait for an auto-rickshaw if it is willing to go my way; c) and wait till metro starts plying (it was stopped for security reasons).

I was getting all kinds of suggestions as friends and family were calling me non-stop. In my mind, walking was the safest mode but it's bit of an irrational thought to walk 20 KM. I completely ruled out the option of public bus as there is no control who boards and with what. News still pouring in about yet to explode bombs which were yet to be found. So, I patiently walked towards the nearest metro station and was greeted by a long queue; dozens of police vehicles; reporters from TV channels; sirens and hooters going on non-stop. I thought in my head: its much better to wait and get frisked and screened and be sure that there is no bomb in any one's bag. For some reason I trust the way metro functions.

But, you know for some reason I did not sound even for a second or felt 'panicked'; that's a strange realization. I was walking as if nothing happened. I was waiting in the queue amidst those brouhaha as if nothing can move me.

And I came home unscathed. I am alive.