Same roads - 2 different days

Travelling on Delhi roads can be quite interesting many times. A few days back (the day before diwali), I had to go to Nehru Place for something related to my computer. Now, Nehru Place is around 25-30 km away from my house. I was supposed to go and be back in the afternoon, but it took something like 4 PM before I was ready to go. Mentally preparing for the traffic, I set out. Vikas Marg, Ring Road, Bhairon Road, Mathura Road, Moolchand, LSR, and finally to Nehru Place. It took around an hour which is about what I budgeted. It took me around an hour over there, so I was ready to leave by 6 PM. Looked to the road .. Gulp ! Traffic. Manfully, set out in this traffic, same route, and at no place was I actually held up in a jam. But slow traffic everywhere - Nehru Place, Sunder Nagar, LSR, Bhairon Road, Vikas Marg. It took me around 2 hours to reach back, and my feet were positively aching from all the clutch/brake/accelerator manipulations.

The next day, Diwali evening, I had to visit my aunt who lives in Greater Kailash, not very far from M-block market. The roads were empty and I reached there withing 35-40 minutes. Was quite a bit of fun, speeding down empty roads. I was not so suprised though since I see the same scene every Diwali evening. However, what impressed me then and continues to impress me is that the amount of traffic is huge, but the roads are so wide and the poor unappreciated traffic policemen are valiantly fighting to keep traffic moving, and most of the time do a fair job. I saw a scene in a local market near my house where there was no policemen and the road was not so wide, the amount of chaos that was there with respect to cars coming and going made me respect the efforts of these traffic guys even more so.

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