Flashback – Circa 2000
The car drive from Vasant Kunj was beautiful. While our eyes were feasting on the beautiful green and yellow mustard fields on MG road (yes, now home to the sprawling Malls), munching on some peanuts brought us to Gurgaon. We soon found ourselves amidst a beautiful, green and quiet residential colony called South City I. We were looking for a house and the moment we crossed the small market road, which then had very few, small shops (one of them being Narayani and City Heart) this huge expanse of green at the end, caught our attention.
Here, opposite the Telephone exchange, was a small farm where vegetables were growing in abundance and a few big shade trees had peafowl roosting there. I heard my heart flutter and before we saw the proposed plot that Ashiana was planning to build, I heard myself saying yes. The trees and the park in front (now Joy Park) took the cake. I found the calm neighbourhood oozing with a small town feel of a mohalla of yore and one felt welcomed. Here, everyone knew everyone and neighbours watched each other’s kids. Holi and Diwali was when you met and made friends that have stayed so over the decades. Hailing from the valley of Kashmir, we loved the green ambience. Besides, the silence, the myriad of birds, the loud lapwing, the grey partridge and a few peafowl that sauntered by that winter morning, took away my breath. Within a year when we shifted to our new abode, we found it very soothing to hear the birds calling and breathe in fresh air, and the children simply loved the occasional walk to the green vegetable patch. This is where we made friends with the cheerful young lady who cultivated the crops along with her not-so-friendly husband and a tartan mother-in-law. With her two small sons in tow, every morning at around 11 am and sometimes in the evenings, the young lady, I think her name was Devi, would collect all the huge cauliflowers and cabbages, coriander and spinach, and occasionally beans, and put them up for sale. Some of us would gather around and pick up the fresh produce and sometimes she allowed us and the kids to walk around and tug at a carrot or a big white radish that found its way into a parantha on Sunday. The mulberry tree was also a source of ‘happy’ spots on the kids’ clothes and we loved our stay though transportation was still many metros away!
Life was simple though we lived in a city that was still named Gurgaon and not Gurugram and a beautiful fountain adorned Bristol Chowk!
Circa 2020:
Over the years, we witnessed the gradual deterioration of the green patch and the real setback was when we heard about the passing away of Devi, the one who managed this farm. I don’t know about the ownership of this plot but rumours were that many developers had been eyeing the property for a long time due to some village agreement, the rights were with the family that was destined to stay here in penury but did not have the authority to sell the green gold. Instead of the vegetables, we soon found this spot leased to different vendors of construction materials like bajri and rodi, a puncture shop and a newspaper/garbage dump also appeared. The activity of the trucks and the associated dust and noise took over. The peace was shattered. Soon after, a few cows appeared and were tethered here. Soon the animals multiplied and we could count 30-40 cows of different sizes housed in the so-called “gaushala”. Soon we saw piles of chappatis and other
offerings outside, near the road, along with the construction material being sold on the side. The loitering men and the loud music made it out of bounds for a friendly walk.
Circa 2024:
A few months back I noticed that this once-green patch was taken over by HVP. Soon blue tin sheets marked the boundary. We saw a notice planted on the wall saying this was HVP property and the plots had been earmarked for construction. The cows were let loose by the owner and no one knew his or her responsibility. Luckily, with the intervention of some residents, the cows found a home in Rajasthan. And this land was open for the developers to create ugly structures. Since last month, I have noticed construction in full swing here. Another mini township is on the anvil so get ready for more traffic and noise.
Gone is the attractive green patch, a visually appealing part of our surroundings, and instead exists an eyesore of grey and brown juxtaposed with ugly blue. Development they say is important but unruly development is the bane of any civilization. So we close our eyes as we watch yet another green turn into brown or a neighbourhood tree fell to the ground or we can pick up our gardening tools and create a green vegetable patch in our house in the city or run back to our village or town!
