Traveling from Kanpur to Lucknow by bus was enough to condition me to the change I would be expecting between the populous cities of Delhi and Lucknow. Change for the good. Started with a minor incident. The bus driver was busy with a quarrel at the time I - alongwith my baby brother - had boarded the bus. Soon enough, the quarrel got a bit loud, and we exected each side to bring out their share of expletives. Dirty, demeaning ones; and the bus drivers are so good at that. In such a situation, having a friend makes for some passive entertainment - crowds usually tend to do that instead of standing up (the you loser, me loser mentality) - but in the company of a relative, it disgusting in worse proportions. There I was, expecting a flurry of 'teri..'. But that never happened. The driver kept to his limits, winning the quarrel by sheer argument. I was surprised. It was same throughout the journey. None of his irritations came out as an undignified action.
It was comforting to know that I'd be reaching Lucknow soon - the city of 'Tehzeeb', something that would sound like a lesser-known Mughlai dish to the Delhiites. Not once in Lucknow do I recall coming across any cussing. And I'm referring to the time spent on the streets, of course. Lucknow sure is respectful. No wonder why the rich travelers end up feeling like Nawabs; the respect is so overwhelming. Leave aside the global greed and nationwide female insecurity for a while, Lucknow has its distinct charm.
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