Recently, a conversation happened between the Delhi Explorer (DE),  and a senior citizen (SC) at the Indian Coffee House. Clad in a white shirt and trouser with his grey hair nicely combed, the senior citizen was sitting in a corner alone, so DE requested, if he, too, can join him, SC readily agreed. By the way, just a few minutes ago, SC rose, went to a nearby table where a few more senior citizens were sitting and gave them a packet of biscuit. There was no verbal communication, just a simple nod. He is being referred as senior citizen all through the article, because he didn’t reveal his name. DE: “Sir, for how many years have you been coming here?”
SC: “Everyday!”
DE: “Do you remember, when did you first come to the Indian Coffee House?”
SC: “1964-65. It has been more than 50 years now.”
DE: “Everyday for more than 50 years seem impossible.”
SC: “Aise bohot hai jinka khana hazam nahi hota, yaha bina ayae.”
DE: “A few minutes ago, you went to the nearby table and gave a packet of biscuits. Do you know them?”
SC: “They are my friends, there are many such friends, whom I have met here.”
SC,  then spoke uninterrupted for long.
“Earlier, this used to be above present-day Palika Bazaar. Later it shifted here. Coffee Board employee walo ka coperative chalata hai. The crowd that you see here has changed so much over the years. This was the meeting place of the intellectuals. High Court judges, journalists, college professors used to meet here. If you had to know about what’s happening in the country, you had to just come to the Indian Coffee House. Kuch hum jaisai puranae log hai jo aab bhi yaha aate hai. These days, you have to go to a costly cafe, if you want to keep sitting for long, if it is a regular cafe, then they would stand on your head, and say, either place an order or leave the table. Here, you see college students, office goers all sitting in groups, and discussing personal or professional matters, without being bothered about leaving the table. The price is also reasonable. There is a charm to this place, perhaps because it is still run by the cooperative. Just opposite the road you have Coffee Home, which is run by the Delhi Tourism. It’s been leased to a private contractor, comparatively rates there are high. They sell a simple dal vada for Rs 100 a plate (it’s a general reference). Now every spoonful of a dish is more than Rs 1. Even that place has many loyal clientele, some even 80-85 year-old. They can’t come up to the second floor here so they go there. The Coffee Home was set up by the first chief minister of Delhi, I am forgetting his name, he personally served on the day it opened.”
After a long wait DE asked,
“Sir from where do you come?”
SC: “Karol Bagh. I come here by bus everyday.”
DE: “I guess you are retired?”
SC: “Aadmi jab tak zinda hai, tab tak retire nahi hota.”
DE: “Anything particular that you are doing these days?”
SC: “I am researching on corruption. Why one needs to pay these days to get a job.”
The discussion gets interrupted due to monkeys, who have come to eat from the left overs on a nearby table. And  before anybody could do anything, SC got up, and took the stick kept nearby to scare away the monkeys.
SC: “This place completes the social life of so many like us.”