A Mini Vacation After My Exams
A couple of weeks back, my 10 th std board exams finally got over. All these months of slogging away, cut off from everything fun and exciting in this world, really takes a toll on you. So, it was time for a much-needed break. It took some convincing, but my parents finally decided to get leave from their respective work, and go on a mini-vacation. It had been really long since I last met my grandparents. So, we decided to go visit them in Faridabad.
After a short but tiring flight, we landed in Delhi sometime in the late afternoon. We collected our luggage and freshened up a bit. Dad decided to book a cab from Delhi airport to Faridabad. The cab arrived shortly, and we settled in. Honestly, I prefer travelling by road to flying. I always feel better when I roll down the windows and feel the breeze stroke my face. Taking a flight makes me feel claustrophobic and tired. Being in the cab felt so much better.
Reaching Faridabad and Meeting my Grandparents
It took us around 45 minutes to reach Faridabad. On the way, we had stopped by a roadside Dhaba to help ourselves to some tea and pakoras. It was early evening by the time we reached my grandparents’ place – a quaint, old house surrounded by tall brick walls on all sides in one of the older colonies of Faridabad. They were thrilled to see me after months!
As for me, I never miss any chance to spend a few days with them. Later, Daadi made me my favourite rajma chawal, while Daadu was busy asking me about my board exams and my future plans. We retired to bed early that night, as all this travel had tired us all.
The next day, it was raining so we mostly stayed in. Some relatives got to know that we were visiting, so most of the evening was spent chit-chatting with my distant cousins and sipping on some tea. But I wanted to make the most of this rightfully earned vacation. I suggested that we go on a weekend trip to Delhi and explore a bit around the city.
My grandparents were hesitant at first. Travelling and exploring is naturally challenging for them. But I suggested that we can easily book a reliable and convenient taxi in Delhi, which will take us around the city. That way, nobody has to worry either about shuttling from one part of the city to another, or about driving in Delhi’s busy traffic. Everybody eventually came on board, and I spent the latter part of the night helping Daadi and Daadu pack for their weekend getaway.
Our Day in Delhi
When we reached Delhi, we booked ourselves a taxi, and discussed our itinerary with our chauffeur for the day. He was a smiling and kind gentleman, who helped us plan our day well, and assured us that my grandparents wouldn’t be uncomfortable exploring Delhi at all. We started from visiting the attractions in Old Delhi. We saw the Jama Masjid, then made our way to the Red Fort and then we went to Rajghat. We didn’t want to spend much time anywhere, as Daadu insisted that he wants to make the most of his day out.
By the time we were done exploring Old Delhi, it was already lunchtime. We decided to help ourselves to some parathas in Paranthewali Gali. There were so many options to try from, but we stuck to our basic Aloo Paratha, and Paneer Paratha. Post lunch, we went to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib.
The atmosphere there was so peaceful and divine. We spent a good hour, hour and a half there, doing nothing but strolling around a little and sitting. We then went to the Lotus Temple, which was another beautiful and peaceful destination. Both these places really helped us calm our mind. We ended with going to the India Gate. It looked spectacular in the evening. There was a light crowd slowly gathering, hawkers and photographers making their day’s earnings. It was buzzing with life.
Saying Goodbye
The trip was pretty successful, and we didn’t want to bite more than we could chew. So, we decided to call it a day. We stayed at one of my Daadu’s childhood friend’s place, so we didn’t have to worry about booking ourselves any hotel rooms. The next morning, after a late breakfast, we made our way to the airport. My grandparents decided to stay at my Daadu’s friend’s place for another day, before they returned to Faridabad. It was hard saying goodbye, but I will cherish the wonderful time spent together.
