BHOPAL: The hazy Sunday waned into foggy evening. As the sky remained cloudy, the feel of winter was barely as bitter as it should have been. Bhopalis basked in glee. The day fell short of that sort of chilly dryness that the people of the city generally experience in the first week of January. The fine weather dragged many people out of their homes to enjoy the weekend.
Many were seen at Van Vihar. These days, the banks of the Upper Lake are echoed with the warbles of the winged guests. The bird watchers gathered there to enjoy the trills, colour and activities of those feathered friends. They spent hours on the banks, gazing and gazing, listening and listening to the winged pipers. They remained there though the dim day diminished.
Another place that attracted the weekend crowd was Bhopal Haat where an exhibition of jaggery (Gur) is on. The exhibition centre is filled with the heady scene of mouth-watering jaggery of various kinds. A large number of people fetched up there to give a wide berth to the freight of corona. There were, however, many who hardly followed the corona-protection norms. Most of the visitors believe that as long as jaggery is there, corona can barely near anyone. Such feeling as this only enlivens the music of life in Bhopal.
As a large number of people went out, the roads in the city, which all but remain empty on Sundays, looked busy. Likewise, a few restaurants also saw visitors. People have so far kept such places at arm’s length because of the corona pandemic. Nevertheless, the residents overcame that foreboding and ate out with friends and family members. Otherwise also, Bhopalis are known for their audacity of any kind. It does not matter whether it is connected to dodging traffic signals or evading the corona-protection norms.
The lazy day slowly wore off. The chirps, too, mingled with the drooping day. The chiller night fell. As the green darkened, the city went into its rug to welcome a busy Monday. What could be cosier on a cold winter’s day than a warm kitchen filled with gorgeous aromas of slow-cooked food? Of course, the perfect finishing touch is a glass of rich, smooth red wine.
