It was supposed to be a rejuvenating walk. There was nothing much to do on a Saturday evening. I had overslept the morning and topped it with a afternoon siesta. Thus my body was overslept and under worked. I needed to strain my body a little. This was the same city where people were deprived of sleep and had no time to relax. I, with ample amount of time and relatively little work to experience leisure, somehow was in a different world in the same city.

I started from the colony and moved towards the station road with a aim to take a long walk...'A friend had once said there was a nice park in Tardeo'. But this was not the time to search. I started strolling. New buildings had come up on the road side where once shabby chawls were conspicuous...a new store 'the loot' was brightly visible...The logo in red coupled with nicely done exterior attracted attention. The store must be around 2500 feet and I wondered the cost of renting such a space.

As I crossed the petrol pump I reach the Navjivan society building...the huge residential complex was a mammoth structure in the middle of the road .On the crossing 'the lady with cow' is still there...every morning I see her while going to the office...the lady sells sweets and grass to people who in turn offer it to the cow, in turn getting benefited with dharma and satisfied with their pious deed....However no body was there at this evening to buy....'What a cool business strategy. You earn money by selling sweets and grass which goes into your own cows stomach'.....

Moving ahead I reach apsara cineplex....or its new avtaar"INX Network"....A new movie was playing and the multiplex now boasted of a new axis bank branch....i nostalgically remember my Axis bank stint......Myriad hotels and bars dotted the roadside.....One particular guesthouse catches my attention 'Hotel decent accomodation".....I remember the hotel's name from movie'jab we met' and wondered whether it offered the same decent facilities.....

Lamington road ends and I reach a crossing...going ahead would mean going towards charni road...going left would probably go towards tardeo/peddar road... I decide to take right....

The place seemed to be a bit crowded..taxis lining the roads and numerous thatched shanty shops lining the show rooms.....everything was on sale....the crowd was increasing as I moved ahead....i reach a downtown movie hall playing'munna bajrangi'.....the crowd was anything but sophisticated...

Suddenly I notice her....she was wearing a conspicuous dress and had a lot of make up on her face..with flowers in her hair.....she was standing next to a taxi...as I crossed her I overheard a hefty man asking"how much"...

I realised I have reached the infamous 'Grant road'....I didn't turn back to see whether they had a deal....i had a nauseating feeling and wanted to run away...pure paid physical experiences were still not palatable to my liberal mind.....I belonged to the privileged group which could afford to be moralistic....who knows why she was doing this ....probably she had to feed stomachs...probably she unfortunately got into this trade and there was no way out...or because she found it easy money....what about the hefty man....was he for a quick experience....or has he been away from family for long time to earn his bread and butter and he deserved some succour...

There are no easy answers...probably there was no answer...The road was providing for different needs for different people....

Monday morning....As I reach the crossing I see 'the lady with the cow' at her usual business...and.."The hefty man was buying sweets and offering them to the cow".