Our Nirvana has such beautiful parks, so when my Nirvana friend Anju floated the idea of ” Chai in the park” it was a great hit. When I reached the big AG park with my mug of green tea and a plate of cookies to share, the benches were already full. Some were good friends and others were known faces I have seen while on my morning walks.
There was an immediate connection between us as we were all Nirvanites. We decided to start by introducing ourselves and talking about one of our passions.
Monika from BC shared that she is an ardent nature lover who is very involved with the “ Save the Aravallis” drive. She leads several walks into Aravali’s beautiful green beauty, which is one of the oldest mountains in India. She has promised to plan some simple treks for keen Nirvana residents in the future.
Then was Anju (AG), the one who first started the “ Chai in the Park” idea in 2020 and it continued even through the COVID years(that’s why the idea of each one of us getting our own cups began). She is also into nature photography and a keen traveller. Her blog about her travels www.traveltrails.co makes for interesting reading.
Kamal (AG) who is a dear friend and my next-door neighbour revealed a side to her artistic skills that even I had not known earlier. Starting from the covid years instead of only canvases, she started refurbishing old doors, steel trunks and even an old guitar and creating something completely new out of them. She realised our old AG doors were teak and worked with her carpenter to make beautiful benches out of them. She painted on her friend’s old guitar and converted it into a work of art. Table tops were decorated with broken old and colorful ceramic tiles making them into pieces of art.
Dr Mira Mukerji, a recent DW resident loves poetry and has taught poetry as a college professor for years. She has travelled the world and is a big proponent of recycling and promoting eco-friendly habits. Married to one of India’s top environmentalists, she has met many interesting nature-loving people, heads of several environment-focused NGOs, and also wildlife photographers like Vikram Thapar and had many interesting stories to share.
Daninder from AG by profession is in advertising but by passion, she is a chef. She enjoys cooking and specialises in cooking mutton using recipes from royal kitchens and uses many old traditional ways of cooking.
Another member, Rashmi from DW shared that she is a keen baker and loves trying out different kinds of breads which she currently makes for her family and friends. A resident of Defence Colony, who had just moved here with her family while her house was being rebuilt. She has now fallen so much in love with our green Nirvana that they have decided to sell their house in Defence Colony and buy their forever home here. She has also promised to get a sample tray of her baked goodies for our next “ Chai in the Park” as we assured her we were willing to be her guinea pigs.
I am a resident of AG and bought our home almost twenty years ago. We moved here 3 years back after 19 moves and calling 8 countries home. We love living in our beautiful green Nirvana neighbourhood. I am a writer, a bookaholic, and a social worker and have a deep passion for history. I enjoy writing and have mentored several young people and adults, introducing them to the pleasures of writing too through workshops or simple “ sit and write events”. Several of my articles and short stories have been published and now I am working on my first novel. It’s been quite a journey and I look forward to sharing it with my friends while sipping my cup of chai.
If you are interested in joining our next Chai in the park please send a WhatsApp message to Anju 9810070294
