The varied species inhabiting the Delhi Metro

Delhi prides itself on three things- the affluence of its people, its numerous green spaces and the very functional, very efficient, Delhi Metro! As every intimate person close to our heart gets associated with certain eccentricities, The Delhi Metro, too, is inhabited by certain unique people who make the Metro an entertaining, or irritating  place-depending on how you look at it.

a) The group of giggling girls/rowdy boys- While these groups of girls giggle perennially and bid each other good bye with dramatic, loud ‘muahhz’, the boys seem to communicate through smirks and frequent nudges…and abuses. They also sing; apparently this is their way of gaining the attention of the attractive girl standing nearby.

b) The theatrical- They love theatrics, so when they talk on the phone, discussing their family/boyfriend/office problems, half the compartment can listen to their dirty laundry. They whine endlessly- and much to our bemusement- in complete public view, as if we are paparazzi waiting for the filthiest and the most senseless details of their lives.

c) The child prodigies-  These are the talented children-travelling with their mothers in the Metro- who seem to have a strange affinity for the pole! They twirl around the pole with innocent enthusiasm like professional dancers and run around the coaches screaming loudly and bumping into anyone who stands in their way.

d) The ‘over sharers’ -They love loud and feel an altruistic urge to share with others. These are the music lovers who have songs blasting out of their earphones at such a high volume that the people standing next to them can shake their legs to the music too. While on the right you will find Rihanna’s voice singing ‘We Found Love’, on the other side you will find familiar Punjabi pop beats grazing your ears. There is also the occasional rock lover. Stand close to them and you can save the battery of your phone, as well as the well being of your ears.

e) The couples corner- The redundant but extremely famous couples corner is the adjoining space between the Metro’s reserved coach for women and the next coach. There will always be moony eyed couples- lost in their own world, oblivious to others- inhabiting these spaces.

f)The eternal sleeper- This person is always comfortably asleep. He never gets up and you never see him with his eyes open. He might open them, on a rare occasion, only for a pronounced yawn to lull him to sleep again. He will miraculously come to his senses when his station is about to arrive.

g) The ‘I-am-running-for-my-life’ species- They hear the warning bell, yet they ignore it to make it to through the door at the last minute. And the few moments wherein they battle their way through the closing door seem to run in slow motion, like the climactic scene of a Bollywood movie. Everybody has their heart in their hands before heaving either a collective sigh of relief in case the person makes it; or a collective gasp, in case the door closes in the person’s face.