Delhi Metro: A Way of Life

Just like the Bombay local is the bloodline lifeline and every possible line that connects the length and breadth of the city, Delhi metro is just the same or probably a cleaner and a more comfortable way of transportation.In a ride from the Rajiv Chowk to Guru Dronacharya metro station and back one can see so many different phases and faces of life. The resemblance is really uncanny.At the Udyog vihar metro station there was a couple who were rushing to enter the metro going towards gurgaon. The guy was able to enter but the girl was not and doors got shut. Although both of then knew that they are going to meet in like another 5 minutes but at that moment the girl shrank to size of a table tennis ball. It was then it struck me that how difficult is to cope up with partition created by anyone by anyone, be it be the metro doors forcing two people to stay on the opposite sides or a line forcing two nations to stay away from each other. Since eternity WE were one but because of the some power hungry people WE were divided, WE bled, WE lost, WE suffered and WE are still suffering. I so wish I could turn back time to 1947 and bring down those METRO DOORS that created the Macmohan, the Durand and the Radcliff lines dividing US into ME and YOU.As the metro moved ahead and reached AIIMS a bunch of people got up to get off. This was the opportunity that half the compartment was waiting for and there was a sudden unrest and people started running out looking for seats. It showed the true Indian picture of “TU CHAL MAIN AYA”. The pressure of competition is huge as there are always two men to fill one vacant spot.No metro trip is complete without the following announcement “THERE WILL BE A SHORT DELAY IN THIS TRIP, INCONVENIENCE IS DEEPLY REGRETTED.” Just before this announcement was made I guess the driver used the Emergency break to stop the train because all of a sudden the entire coach was falling on the person standing to his or her right. It was exactly like we fell upon and bank upon our loved ones and closed ones in times of emergency and in times of crisis. And once the metro came to a halt the coach was filled with phrases like “Sorry Bhai sahib”, “Thank you sir” and “No problems brother”.Every door on the metro has a poster or a sticker that reads “Please stay away from the doors” but most of just ignore them and when the doors actually open people leaning on it take a tumble. Just like we ignore many warnings that life gives us. A smoker goes out for a walk and he had barely walked a km or2 that he is forced to return panting like a Dog, that is life telling him to quit smoking, but he cares the least of such warnings. A mother asking her kid not to play with sharp objects but the kid does not listen and ends up hurting himself.The Indian society always boasts about “SANSKAR” and Delhi metro is a place where lot of such instances could be seen. Delhi Metro has made delhites more mature as these guys think over themselves and put their own comfort after someone’s need. School kids giving seats to aged people college kids standing up and giving seats to females. This is a sign of a society that is chivalrous.Last but not the least Metro also brings the kid out in every commuter. The small handle bars act as their toys as commuters of every age can be seen playing with them. Rotating the small advertisements installed on top of the handles. People ask their kids not to play with the metro property but when they are alone they are not able to tell the same thing in the kid in themselves.Delhi metro is much more than just a way of reaching places, it is much more than a convenience, it is a way of life :D