Lucknowi Tehzeeb

Aarushi Sinha

* Honk Honk! *

Are you lost, my friend? Hop in the car; I’ll lead you to the Tehzeeb of Lucknow. I can promise you it won’t be a bumpy ride. You seem confused, arey muskuraiyien janab, aap Lucknow mein hain!

* Car starts *

Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, or the epicenter of the ancient Awadh, is infamously known as the City of Nawabs (Nawabon ka Sheher) and the City of Tehzeeb. It is a historical city located across the banks of River Gomti. The Lucknowi Nawabs ruled the center for over a century (1722-1856) and surrendered the throne while gifting the people their Nawabiyat. It has been more than a century, yet similar etiquettes still subsist in the natives of the city. Clubbing all of this makes the capital city a culturally and traditionally manner-laden one.

The language spoken here stems from Hindustani language, which is the fusion of the purest forms of Hindi and Urdu. Charming, isn’t it?

* Stops the car with a jerk *

Here comes the tricky part -

Kindly erase the words “main” and “tu” from your vocabulary and remember to always address yourself as “hum,” your group as “hum log,” and others with either “aap” or “tum.”

Oh, I just realized I forgot to introduce myself!

* Shaking my head *

“Namaste! Humara naam Aarushi Sinha hain aur humein ummeed hain aapko humara sheher pasand ayega!”

* Starts the car again *

…. To be continued

Home Away From Home

Jahnvi Sikarwar

Hometowns- a word that reflects comforts, warmth, and you. A town is a place which holds countless happy memories of our childhood and youth, from children playing gully cricket with your friends to pados ki aunty gossiping around, everyone stays as a vast family. It is that place where you don’t need to put effort to fit in or feel out of place, just apnapan. It’s that place where you know everything and everyone in and out. Those late-night walks to nearby ice-cream shops after a tiring day never make you feel unsafe. It’s not just a town or a village; it’s a thriving community composed of all those nosy yet lovable neighbors of your colony, which you may never want to leave as it’s your comfort zone, your home.

However, there comes a day where we have to move ahead in life to achieve our goals or have a better future; we all have to leave past our homes to build a sustainable future. Something is comforting about being known and knowing, but there is something intensely thrilling about heading into the unknown and trust falling into the arms of the universe. Leaving those town gullies to city roads is a difficult task but is needful at least for some.

When I shifted to Mumbai city from my native town, it was dreadful, but later on, after some months of living and adapting to a new way of living, I realized that home isn’t a place, but a feeling, and moving away from “home” will teach you this in a million ways. Moving away from home will serve you a new life and convert you in many ways, a catalyst for massive growth. Moving to a new city can be exciting, scary, and for some, a lead to fulfill their dream or a unique experience of life, but the town from where you belong will never leave your heart. You never notice that your town has one type of smell until you step out and live in another city for a while, and that smell will always be in you whether you reach any height of your life.

One day I’ve to leave this town

Town, where I played and learned lessons

Town, where neighbors like family are always around,

roads and skies make me feel safe here,

making my grief disappear.

One day I’ve to leave this town

To fulfill my dream,

And leaving this soil

Just another place to visit around

No matter how far I go,

Or how long I am gone

This town will always have a breath of home.

Meerut

Aditya Tyagi

My hometown, Meerut, has been there since the time of Ramayana. Back then, it was known as Maharashtra. During the time of Mahabharata, this place was known as Hastinapur. It is also said that the Ashoka pillar during the Mauryan Empire was established here, which was then relocated to Delhi in the 12th century.

I have spent 18 years of my life here. However, for my family, it all started in 1930. My grandfather left his home and shifted to Meerut then to become a part of the Independence movement for the freedom of India. I have read letters written by Chaudhary Charan Singh (ex-Prime Minister of India) to my grandfather. They both were the best of friends, and when I read those letters, they take me to a completely different zone. I've always had this wish to visit my hometown in the 1900s when India was fighting for its independence. Everything I have learnt about Indian history is because of my hometown.

This place is famous for the Nauchandi Mela, which started in 1672 - a symbol of unity between Hindu and Muslims. Ghanta Ghar, established in 1913, is believed to have the sound of the clock travel across 15 kilometres. I feel proud and happy when I see Meerut as one of the fastest developing cities in India, including the first rapid train in Asia from Meerut to Delhi, among other developments. Meerut is the biggest sports equipment manufacturer and supplier in Asia. It is also famous for the production of scissors. The term, 'yahan ke logon ki zubaan kaichee jaise tez hai' (people's tongues run like scissors here) was more or less coined here.

Everything that I have learnt, every story that I have told, every character I have written has the essence of my hometown. Being from a small town like this gives me a better perspective to know people, to understand them. It is impossible for me to write down everything this town has given me. But if I try to summarise it in one sentence, it would be:

Wherever I go, wherever I live, my hometown will always hold the most special place in my heart and memories, just like the town holds all mine within it.