Gujju Love

Gujju Love Category: Slice of Life Labels: Heritage Vibe, Ahmedabad Pols, Gujarati Snacks, Artsy & Sweet, Local Heritage ---

Pehli Mulaqat - Woh Cafe Waala Din

March ki shaam thi...

Mujhe ab bhi yaad hai woh pehla din. Ahmedabad ki gali mein se guzar raha tha main, apne sketchbook ko gale se lagaaye hue. Rajkot se aaya tha main apne papa ke business ke silsile mein — Mr. Vyas, mere papa, ek respectable businessman hain, aur unhone mujhe yahan kuch important documents deliver karne bheja tha. Lekin main? Main toh bas apna kaam dhundh raha tha. Inspiration.

Old City ke Pols... kya bataun aapko? Woh narrow galiyan, woh centuries-old architecture, woh haveliyan jo jaise kahaniyan sunaati hain apni deewaron se. Main ek heritage cafe mein ghusa — "The Pol House" — naam suna tha cousin Hardik se. "Bhai, wahan ja, tujhe achha lagega," kaha tha usne.

Cafe purana tha, lekin itna welcoming. Wooden furniture, exposed brick walls, aur har taraf local artists ke kaam. Maine ek corner table pakdi, apna sketchbook khola, aur apni pencil se woh beautiful jharokha banane laga jo samne tha — intricate carvings, jaise time ne apna signature chhoda ho wahan.

"Excuse me, yeh seat khali hai?"

Maine upar dekha. Andhera saaya tha pehle, phir woh side mein hat gayi aur roshni mein aayi. Light blue kurta, denim jeans, baalon mein ek simple clip, aur aankhein... yaar, woh aankhein! Itni zinda, itni curious. Jaise koi bachchi ki tarah excited ho, lekin itni confident ki bas dekh ke pata chal jaye ki yeh koi ordinary ladki nahi hai.

"Ha... haan, baith jao," maine kaha, thoda awkwardly.

"Thanks! Main Pooja," usne muskurate hue haath badhaya.

"Dev," maine kaha, aur jab humara haath mila na... I don't know, kuch tha. Koi current sa mehsoos hua. Shayad static electricity thi, ya phir... pata nahi.

Woh baith gayi, apna bag khola, aur ek notebook nikaali. "Tum artist lagte ho," usne kaha, meri taraf dekh ke.

"Graphic artist, Rajkot se. Tum?"

"Content writer, yahin Ahmedabad ki. Aur history buff," woh hasi. "Yeh Pols meri jaan hai. Har ek gali mein koi kahani chhupi hai."

Hum dono apna apna kaam karne lage. Main sketching mein busy, woh apne laptop pe kuch type kar rahi thi. Shayad ek ghanta beet gaya. Phir achanak...

"Oh no!" uski awaaz aayi.

Maine upar dekha. Woh apni bag mein kuch dhoondh rahi thi, pareshaan si.

"Kya hua?"

"Mera sketchbook... kahin gaya! Main yahan aayi thi drawing karne, aur ab..."

Maine apne paas dekha. Ek similar looking notebook thi. Maine use uthaya, aur usmein khol ke dekha — beautiful watercolor sketches, heritage buildings, street scenes, aur kuch notes likhe hue.

"Yeh... yeh tumhara hai?" maine poocha.

Woh bhaagi mere paas. "Haan! Yeh toh mera hai! Par yeh tumhare paas kaise..."

Tab hum dono ne ek saath dekha — table pe do sketchbooks rakhe hue. Ek mera, ek uska. Same size, same color cover. Hum dono ne ek doosre ko dekha, aur phir...

Hassi. Woh contagious wali hasi. Cafe mein logon ne dekha, lekin humein fark nahi pada.

"Oh my God, humne swap kar liya!" woh has rahi thi. "I'm so sorry, maine bina dekhe utha liya."

"Nahi nahi, meri galti bhi hai. Maine bhi check nahi kiya."

Humne apne apne sketchbooks exchange kiye. Lekin tab tak, kuch ho chuka tha. Woh jo pehle connection mehsoos hua tha na, woh aur strong ho gaya tha.

"Dev, tum bahut talented ho," usne mere sketches dekhte hue kaha. "Yeh perspective, yeh detailing..."

"Tumhare bhi kaafi achhe hain," maine kaha, uske watercolors dekh ke. "Tumne yeh Manek Chowk waali night scene banayi hai?"

"Ha! Wahan ki lights aur woh hustle... mujhe bahut pasand hai woh jagah."

"Chalo, ab toh introduction ho hi gaya," maine kaha, thoda confident ho ke. "Coffee peete hain? My treat?"

Woh muskurayi. "Only if next time main treat karun."

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Dusri Mulaqat - Sketchbook Se Dosti

Ek hafte baad...

Hardik ne mujhe bahut tease kiya tha. "Bhai, Ahmedabad mein koi mil gayi? Pehli din se hi itna khush kyun hai?" Lekin maine kuch nahi bataya. Bas woh sketchbook swap ki baat yaad thi, aur Pooja ki aankhein.

Humne text karna shuru kiya tha. Pehle sirf "Hey, tumhara sketchbook safe hai na?" types messages. Phir slowly, baatein badhti gayi. Uske baare mein jaana maine — woh content writer thi, ek travel blog ke liye kaam karti thi. History mein uska Masters tha. Aur woh apna khud ka blog start karna chahti thi, "Pol Stories" naam se — Ahmedabad ke Old City ki untold stories.

"Mujhe ek achha logo chahiye," usne ek din kaha. "Koi trustworthy artist jo samajh sake ki heritage kya hai."

Maine kuch nahi kaha tab. Lekin mann mein ek plan ban gaya.

Dusri mulaqat hui wahi cafe mein. Is baar, humne plan kiya tha. "Chalo, tum mujhe apne favourite Pols dikhate ho," maine kaha. "Main tumhare liye sketch karunga."

Woh excited ho gayi. "Sach? Dev, tum sach mein chaloge mere saath?"

"Obviously. Tum guide, main artist. Deal?"

"Deal!"

Woh din yaad hai mujhe. Hum pehle gye Kaumudi Pol — wahan ki architecture dekh ke main toh behosh ho gaya. Intricate jaalis, carved pillars, aur woh old-world charm. Pooja har jagah ruk rahi thi, mujhe history bata rahi thi.

"Yeh dekho, yeh haveli 200 saal purani hai. Yahan pehle traders rehte the."

"Amazing," maine kaha, pencil se outline banate hue. "Tum itna kaise jaanti ho?"

"Papa ne yahan business kiya tha pehle. Bachpan se yeh galiyan meri playground thi. Mummy — Sarita mummy — mujhe yahan ghumati thi, har ek gali ki kahani sunaati thi."

Woh bolte bolte ruk gayi. "Sorry, I got carried away."

"Nahi, nahi, it's beautiful. Tumhari passion... it's infectious."

Woh mujhe dekhti rahi. Kuch seconds ke liye, bas hum dono ek doosre ko dekhte rahe. Phir woh sharma gayi, aur aage badh gayi.

Shaam ko hum Manek Chowk gaye. Woh famous night food market. Pooja ne mujhe authentic Gujarati street food khilaya — dabeli, fafda-jalebi, aur woh famous Ahmedabad ka khana.