delhi, that day when the street art looked like a broken dream

i woke up to a city that smelled like stale chai and regret. the temp was 17.74, which is basically just a fancy way of saying ‘you need a coat but also a fan’-16.61 felt like the world was slowly forgetting about you. i had rushed out to capture some street art near red fort, but the heat made the colors bleed. i mean, literally. the walls looked like they’d been dipped in watercolor and then left in a sauna for a week. i kept thinking, what even is a proper color here?

there was this one mural of a dancing cow that looked like it had been spray-painted by a bored toddler. someone told me that the artist got arrested for ‘disturbing the peace’ of a very furry citizen. i heard a guy in a dhoti nearby say something about ‘art being a crime’-not sure if that’s a local saying or just a drunk’s opinion. either way, i kept painting it. i added more cows. more confusion. more reasons to question my life choices.

the neighbors? well, the ones next door were arguing in hindi about whether dalma is a vegetable. i couldn’t make out the words, but i bet it involved someone threatening to throw a onion. if you get bored, gurgaon is just a short ride away. don’t let anyone tell you that getting lost in delhi means you’re doing something wrong. you’re just floating in a sea of chaos, which is kinda the point.

i saw this one review on yelp that said, ‘the tea here is mind-blowing, but i haven’t slept in 48 hours.’ i half-joked to myself, maybe that’s a metaphor for delhi itself? also, tripadvisor had a thread about a haunted haveli near laxmi nagar. someone claimed it’s actually a former prison. i don’t know if that’s true, but i took a photo of the building anyway. it looked like it had seen too much. maybe it was just a really old building with bad vibes.

i took three photos. first, the cow mural under a sun that looked like it was trying to tell me a secret. second, a vendor selling ‘artisanal’ jamoon that was clearly just a crime scene. third, the empty space where the street artist’s usual spot was-now covered in a tarp. maybe he’s gone. maybe he’s just sick of being forgotten. either way, i left a small heart-shaped stencil on the wall. it’s probably gone tomorrow.

i also checked the weather again. guess what? it’s still 17.74. same as when i arrived. same as when i left. i guess delhi doesn’t care about consistency. just like my relationship with creativity. i’m not sure if i’m a street artist or a person who just likes making things look messy. maybe both. maybe neither.

i ended up at a little café called ‘the chaotic brew’-their coffee was okay, but the noise level was like a subway during rush hour. i ordered a chai and wrote this while the server kept asking if i wanted ‘extra tea’ or ‘extra soul.’ i went for both. the latte art looked like a confused dandelion. i felt like i was in a dream that someone else painted.

someone told me that the local board had just banned street art in this area. i don’t know if it’s true, but i saw a cop today watching me paint. he looked bored. i think he was waiting for someone to break the rules. or maybe he just wanted a free headshot.

if you’re coming to delhi, check the reviews on tripadvisor for the best street food. i heard that the best samosas are made by a guy who won’t take payment unless you give him a poem. that sounds like a scam, but i’m here for it. also, unsplash has some good photos of delhi’s sky during monsoon. the rain looks like it’s trying to wash away the city’s memories. i wonder if that’s a good thing.

i’m not sure what i want next. maybe a dabba of chaat. maybe a nap in a swing set. maybe just lying in the dust and pretending i’m a modern-day coffee snob. whatever. delhi doesn’t care. it just keeps happening. even when it’s 17.74 degrees and everyone’s just trying to survive.