Falling Walls (III)

Chapter 4

Riding through the narrow streets of New Delhi, I couldn't keep my eyes off the busy roads. As Tom explained, he didn't want to make a fuss about extravaganza but security came first.

The car drowned the deafening sounds of loud honking from the vehicles around us. No travel guide could have prepared me for the busy early morning turmoil we witnessed. Lanes and lanes of smoky cars, buses and the yellow-green auto-rickshaws stuck in that seemingly endless jam, with overloaded motorbikes pushing their way through; some of them carrying whole families and even animals. More than once did we have a near hit when our driver decided to use the bus lane, which turned out to be just as chaotic and slow moving.

"The bus lanes are new," our driver Prajit explained with a wide grin. "But nobody cares for them. Everyone just goes everywhere. Just wait until we get off the main road."

And truly, as we made our way into smaller getting streets, the chaos didn't cease. Instead, more vehicles pushed in opposite directions, cars, rickshaws, bikes, and people pushing carts. We even saw elephants transporting passengers and goods. I was so overwhelmed that I was caught in my own world. The kids seemed to feel the same, staring wide-eyed out the windows on their sides.

"Don't worry, madam. There are many accidents here, but they are all small. Nothing bad happens. Traffic is too slow," Prajit laughed.

"Should have taken a helicopter," Tom mumbled annoyed in the front. I, on the other hand, didn't mind the slow pace. It was an experience of a kind.

"If I may ask, Sir, with all due respect, why do you want to take your family to an area like this, Sir?" Prajit now directed at Tom, a bit ashamed, judging by the sound of his voice. The two of them had talked for most of the ride, but I had been too busy watching my surroundings to know what about. Tom got increasingly moody though, checking his phone ever so often.

"We're staying here for business reasons." Tom's short, grumpy answer was not entirely true. We've had a bit of an argument when organising our accommodation, with Tom preferring the Imperial Hotel or Taj Palace, while I thought it inappropriate to stay in a fancy hotel while building a future for the poor. It was again my sense of social justice against Tom's sense for our security. In the end, we compromised on staying within the company complex grounds, but in our own private section.

The outside of the premises didn't stand out from its grey surrounding in any way, apart from the four fierce looking security guards at the large metal gate. Barbed wire was strung along the top of the stone wall, giving it somewhat of a prison appearance. My disappointment, however, evaporated immediately when entering. An entirely different world spread out in front of us, as the metal gate shut behind us. The grey of the streets outside was replaced by green trees and bushes, by water features and colourful Hindu relicts. A large, golden elephant statue, adorned with thousands of colourful glittering stones, overlooked proudly a small pond system. Young children in dusty clothes were running across the road and grass areas, not taking notice of anything around them. Apparently carefree and cheerful they played. Monkeys were sitting along the stone wall, watching the colourful happenings. Those cheerful sights put a smile on my face and Emma's nose was becoming squashed from being pressed too tightly against the window.

"We're here," Prajit announced as we drove through a second gate, guarded by two security guards. Inside, an immaculate landscaped garden unfolded, with pretty decorative features. We approached the villa via a long paved driveway, painted in a fresh ochre yellow, with neatly potted plants around it. Everything was trimmed to detail, so very different to my more natural gardening style at home, if not to say wild. Curious, I looked back to the gate where my eyes followed the large security fence disappear into a line of trees.