Half an hour at the New Road Gate...

I get two days' leave in my office- Saturday and Sunday. After a long and 'tiring' work days, these two days come as a total relief to me. But then, do I get to rest completely? Piles of clothes to wash, other promises to keep and some programmes to attend. It had been more than a couple of months that I had promised my sister to shop together. But it had not been possible due to many reasons -rain, guests, programme, work and the like...

Last Sunday I assured her that we would go shopping at any cost. So I called her up to inform that I would be waiting for her at the New Road Gate so that we could go for the long-awaited shopping together that day. Truly speaking, I was not very enthusiastic about the whole thing because I loathe entering this shop and that looking at almost the same things over and over again. Nonetheless, I was prepared to 'enjoy' shopping.

I was introduced to the New Road Gate some three years ago when some of my college classmates had planned to have a get-together programme. Yeah, you read it right! Only three years ago this famous gate was known to me. But in these three years, New Road Gate has been used for several times as the venue for a get-together programme.

That day as I was getting bored waiting for her, I tried to look around, see things going around a little closely and discovered that the New Road Gate isn't afterall a boring place. It is in fact really interesting.

All sorts of people walked to and fro the gate. I was paying close attention to young girls though. Girls in all sorts of clothes- a plump one putting on fitting tight jeans and a very skinny one with ill-fitting clothes. I could see teens dressed in every fashionable ways. I tried to look back to my own teen-days... No, I didn't have the slightest fashion sense on earth. And I put on what was handy. Now, I have become quite conscious about how I dress as I have to go to the office... but then when it comes to ironing the clothes, my world starts spinning. Very sweetly enough, my sister doesn't mind doing that to me, and sometimes, even my brother does that to me!

Ok, back to the New Road Gate... I could actually see so many things. Street vendors were trying their best to sell out their spreads. Some students were continously trying to sell some stationery stuffs in the name of help for a students' programme or charity. What the hell is that thing? And then there were other restless waiters along with me, eagerly waiting for their person to show up. I was myself stretching my neck to see if she was anywhere near... No, she wasn't.

I was already getting irritated with the sun and searching for a shaded place to shift in but I saw no space. Just then I heard some boys sing a touchy song... when I turned my head, I saw a boy of about 13 years old carrying another boy of around 9 who had a bandage around his forehead and there was blood all over. Anybody could figure out, as I did, that they were street children. Later I heard a passer-by woman telling that these boys had seated themselves and were asking for alms. I still wonder if that was a fake wound or a real one!!

It was getting intolerably hot and on top of it I had a full-sleeved shirt on. So I thought of drinking a bottle of cold drink... just then I remembered the scandals... avenues television and all... God, I would never drink that. What about Real?? Oh no, it used to be my favourite drink. Today I even hate to remember that. I stayed waiting for Geeta to come soon...

Finally after half an hour of impatient waiting, I saw my sister coming toward me, with this big smile on her face. I was thinking, however, that if anybody wants to do a research on Kathmandu's fashion, the New Road Gate is the best place. And my finding about the latest fashion??? Waist-coats of course!! Am I planning to buy one??? No Way!!