This place where I’m putting up is a villa. Many rooms and about 3 floors with roof. It does not belong to me it is owned by a papa. I was brought here about four years ago when I lost my job and couldn’t complete my education as well. Otherwise I was a settled guy earning on my own. There are a lot of people here, people from society, his family, relatives, his kids, etc. Outside is front garden and back garden. Car schoffers, gardener, security guards, maid servants about three inside, they do my laundry, cooking, housekeeping. I have one assigned room of my own, but it is as good as any other room here now. I just sleep in it. Other workers that I’ve noticed here come and go are newspaper guy, garbage pickup guy, other house maintenance people. They all call him Sir, and myself his son. These people and residents of other villas here in this society belong to the powerful elite of this state of UP.

Outside are three parks. Each has seats benches made of cement concrete which gives an earthen feel when you sit on them, really comfy and serene. The grass is maintained by the public servants. Amusement activities for kids like sea saws and swings, overhead lamps for late evening visits. Cement pavements around the perimeter meant for walking and jogging. Some trees and people from everywhere strangers mostly. Sunset views are pleasant in the afternoon adjoining schools keep echoing of PT displays and other activities like cricket for senior students. But place has its downsides too like it is not safe and one tends to misplace items. Wild animals like snakes and cats could also be lurking. Air is good though.

The roads outside are distinctly different from the ones inside. They are much bigger and thicker. Meant for vehicles only, most of them are connecting to freeway lanes nearby. Traffic islands, road dividers, filled with green patches. Traffic police at each island, inner lanes filled with cars parked and padestrians walking to and fro. Shops retailers and malls. Cars are big when they zip past me they leave me goose bumped, pot holes that are just dark dirty and deep, the kind noone can survive. Then area filled with garbage sewers open fuming with poisonous gases that can choke me at a distance. Then I’ll be coughing or fearing ENT infection for days or even breathing diseases. I have to keep spitting on the side walks to stay clean. Traffic so fast and furious that I can’t imagine crossing the main roads ever. So much so I’d get hurt even while trying to do so. Walking here on these roads is just an experience, when I get enough air I head back fearing and worrying whether I’ll make it back in one peace or not it’s precarious.

A path that I walk everyday. It is about two parallel straight roads, 750m each approximately. These roads are the holding structure of the path. There are five connecting straight roads on the left of the center structure. Each of these roads are about a third of the length of the center structure. On the right hand of the center structure is a key or dipper style loop way about the length of the original center structure of the path. The birds eye view of this path is somewhat like a airport tarmac runway with connecting feeder roads to the two tarmac runways. How to traverse this path? I start from the head of the right road of the center structure of the path, walking towards the dipper loop, then the right main road all the way to the tail, then turning around to enter the tail end of the left main road, thereafter completing each of the five connecting roads in a loop as I complete this main road right upto the head. That’s one full path traversal. I walk two of such paths completing it in under an hour.

One year in the making, this feat must be the first baby steps while I was just crawling. Every time this happens we are just conflicted, not able to do anything, not able to understand, What happened ?! Now going to sleep on time, getting up on time, eating right, all home cooked only. Getting my hair cut on time. Then walking outside for at least an hour everyday without fail, because its all about excursions now. I have no home, just a destination. Only a journey, a stop, a safe house for now. Making sure mom keeps bringing me out of this dirt pile every time.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton