"Dilli"-dallying (1)

Forget the spelling. Dilly-dallying it would be, but I would rather go with "i". Why ??

Because I will not say "Delhi". Dilli it is and Dilli it will be. Probably Indians will never understand what "romantic" is all about. But the photographer in me will never allow "Delhi" to replace "Dilli", or for that matter "Kolkata" to replace the love of my life "Calcutta".

A Calcutta lover visiting Delhi for the first time can never be apprehensive. He can just be biased. I was no exception either. Not being blessed with the macho manly guts that men so proudly flaunt, I could not, of course, verbally mutilate Dilli and its stories. What I could do, was blindly smother Calcutta with all my attention, all my praise and all my love. You realise you have a strong point against me here ? Yes, apprehension leads to bias :)

My poor sister, a big time "Delhi" lover (I decided to be gracious and not challenge her romance quotient), had to bear the brunt of all my Calcutta love for a little more than 24 hours. The practical human being in her was her only defence, as "you should not judge without having a look" remained her sole objection. And how mercilessly did I manage to "overrule" her objection !!!

Every argument was attacked with a verbal overflow of Calcuttan culture, sweetness of the people and photogenic brilliance of the city. The feminist in me had gone into hibernation as the poor girl was left shaking her head all the time.


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