It is that time of the year again- time to look back on the year gone by and wonder what exactly you did with the 360 odd days that seem to have whizzed by. Was 2011 a good year, a bad year, a sort of also ran year? Everything seems a hazy blur(not just due the winter fog) and I can’t seem to instantly recall even one major thing that has happened locally over the last year. How have we shaped the course of events in the world, how have they shaped us? What memories do we carry of the past year? Are there are any significant markers in our lives or do we just traverse the days in a daze? Have we learnt anything new, has anything touched us or moved us in a way that had not happened before? It is that time of the year to ponder on such profound questions and do some soul searching.
To get some answers, I asked some of my friends and neighbors what they recalled as significant happenings in the life of Gurgaon.
“The Metallica concert getting cancelled”, everyone chanted. If the concert had started on time, ended with no skirmishes over parking spaces and no complaints about the decibel levels, it could have been a minor achievement, even headline news. What seemed to have had a bigger impact was its cancellation. Everyone remembered how shameful and terrible it was. “A neighbor of a friend got a fracture during the chaos,” recalled someone with ghoulish delight. We all trashed the anti social elements who had trashed the concert venue and blackened the fair name of our city.
“Ah, there was the time when the pubs had to be shut down in Sahara Mall. Do you remember when some lafda happened with local boys and bouncers. We stayed off pubbing for almost three weeks!”remarked another friend sadly. “Now I have started drinking at home. Put on some good music, get the cook to fix some kabab –shabab and you are set.” Everyone commented on how unsafe it was getting these days.
“Yes. How can you forget the terrible shooting at the Toll Plaza?” remembered someone else.
“That wasn’t in the Gurgaon toll booth, was it?” remarked a PYT who was inaugurating new
long boots in honor of the season.
“Yes, at Kherki Daula, which is in Gurgaon” offered a well informed neighbor. “Some guy refused to pay the toll charges. He got into an argument with the attendant and shot him.”
“Why can’t people have some basic civic sense? It is becoming just as bad as Delhi. Road rage and all.” Everyone again commented on how unsafe it was getting these days.
“Isn’t there any good news?” I asked sounding like an anxious mother-in-law. “Things can’t have
been so bad.”
Everyone fell silent.
“The municipal elections were held quite peacefully” someone recalled. A few people had even voted but then had forgotten all about it.
“They have made some roads one way.” The opinion was divided on the impact on traffic and the convenience of this arrangement.
“Anything else? I persisted. “Something really great or special”.
“I bought a new Outlander and haven’t got a single scratch on it so far.” said a neighbor. Others sighed enviously. “Quick, Touch wood.” said his wife.
“A new salon has opened in the South Point mall. Finally I found a hairdresser who really understands my hair” announced a lady with the air of one who had made a great discovery. We all asked for the name and contact details.
“There is an Oberoi at Gurgaon now. Have any of you been there? The seafood is really good” a corporate honcho offered his opinion. We offered our views on other restaurants and made plans to check them out.
The mood became upbeat, the discussions more animate. We made plans for the New Year Party to welcome another significant year.
