When you talk about Literature events in India then Jaipur Literature Festival is right there on the top.
Have always witnessed it passively through Pics and through gupshup with my friends who have visited it.
Have heard that you can’t visit it just once. If you have been there once toh chaska lag jayega, baar baar jaana paregga.
This year I thought to embrace this chaska. Anjaam chahe jo bhi ho 🙂
Bas pahunch gaye jee.
Now there are many things to talk about JLF that I shall keep sharing in my future blogs.
However, one of the best experiences happened when I got access to Singleton Authors Lounge.
Now let me tell you I had my Lunch at #WTF Sports cafe pop up at JLF and had a great experience sitting there in dhoop and having my Chicken Tikkas and Pizzas.
Mahaul waise bhi rangeen tha and I could see Beer Bottles on all tables at 3 pm. Ab Beer main peeta nahi, Whisky main peeta nahi, Coke ki iccha nahi thi.
While I was looking around I saw this Branded Pillar in green by “The Singleton”. It said, “Welcome to the Single Malt, Welcome to The Singleton” Ab yeh kahi dil mein ghar kar gayi.
I’m a big fan of how a Popular Bajaj Dealership in Delhi advertised. Their Tag line was “Think of Bajaj, Think of Bagga” Almost all Scooter Stepney covers that you saw in delhi during 1980’s and 90’s had this message.
Now I was intrigued and went closer to the Pillar and it was a long read (Ab Literature festival hai to Literature bhi accha hona maangta and yahaan parrne waale bahut hai so no worries about long reads).
What I read (You can read it from the image) soaked me in.
Kuch alag sa maza aaya yeh shabd parrkar. Aisa laga it’s talking to me and guess what.
I thought for a minute ki jab “The Singleton” ke shabd hi parrkar itna suroor charr gaya hai to isko peene ke baad kya hoga.
Bas went back to my table, ordered another plate of Chicken Tikka and saath mein 1 Singleton bhi.
Ab chamakte hue Gol glass mein 2 piece barff ke saath jab sunehri “The Singleton” aayi, to sanmjho mooh se shadb nikal parra “Chandi Jaisa Tan hai tera, Sone Jaisa mann”
Never knew I shall be breaking my Single Malt Virginity in paraya sheher, dopahar ko teen baje in a Literature festival and woh bhi akele. But life is like this and maza bhi isme hi hai.
I picked up my glass and sniffed it a bit. Ab Bhai, Pehli baar kuch karo to style se karna chahiye na.
Ab the first sniff gave me some fruity aroma. Jaise ki Apple types.
Now let me tell you I love Fruity Fragrance more than the flowery ones. Somehow when I enter a restaurant and wahaan Flowery scent hoti hai to usko bhi bol deta hu “Change karo bhai, appetite kill ho jaati hai. Tumhara hi nuksaan hai, Bill kam ayega”
Back to mudde ki baat.
So, Apple Aroma made me smile and took a chotta sa sip aankhein bandh karke.
Accha laga.
Paused for a second and took another sip and mujhe lag gaya ki mujhe suroor aa gaya abhi se.
The reason was that the Apple aroma and taste was still there but now I could also sense some Chocolate and Toffee type taste.
Now what more could a Foodie like me ask for. Daaru mein bhi khaane ka swaad 🙂
Mujhe nahi pata chala ki kab mein kuch kho sa gaya and somehow I took out my Copy Pen and in those special moments started writing down a few words.
Jaipur Literature festival kamaal hai,
Yahaan har taraf dhamaal hai,
Qitaabein bhi hai, Qitaab parrne wale bhi,
Qitaabein bechne waale hai aur Qitaabein likhne waale bhi…
Dost bhi hai aur hai bahut saare yaar,
Har koi kar raha hai pyaar ki bauchaar
Session bhi mast chal rahe hai aur dhoop bhi karak hai,
Mere yaar, aaj Jaipur ki hawa kuch farak hai,
Uppar se aaj mere haath mein hai The Singleton ka jaam,
Aur mein iss kavita ke zariye aap sabko de raha hu paigaam
Ki mere yaaro jo aaj tak na hua, woh aaj ho gaya
Tumhara yaar Tikku, aaj se The Singleton ka deewana ho gaya.
So now you will be able to relate ki what beautiful zone I was in.
When the poem ended, I realized Chicken Tikka was there as it is.
Somehow did not wish to spoil the taste instead of having it there and dilute the moment, I got it packed to be relished later.
Aage kya hua uske liye kariye thora intezaar 🙂
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