I felt bright and alive in the morning or maybe I thought as I was waiting to catch the English movie 10 Cloverfield Lane. I had booked it through BookMyShow, a ticket booking portal and it cost me 604 points on my Citi Prestige credit card. I was in Connaught Place; now Rajiv Gandhi Chowk, in no time.

It was hot in Delhi in the afternoon at 42 degree and it is important to keep hydrating oneself. I sipped cool lemon tea and large gulps of Sprite with ice as I strolled around the market place. The eateries like The Host, United Cafe House and Regency all of the landmark diners of CP, Connaught Place of yore had a new and improved look, new logo and brand new decor. But my favourite has always been the earthy Kake Da Dhaba, perhaps since I am resident, citizen as it were of this city!  I sat down for the authentic punjabi taste of butter chicken and dahi meat with kebab’s. All this for less the Rs 500 about $8 and I always thought it is a steal. The place being earthy as it was, the only issues I have are the tight seating arrangement and the long wait at times. Apart from that the food is piping hot, the chicken is tender and the portion’s large with free butter and gravy toppings all this to be burped down by a large cola.

The circular design of Connaught Place suit’s the easy walking style of tourist’s and shopper’s , no hurry here , as couples stroll hand in hand window shopping or just enjoying an ice cream . Almost all international clothing brands, fast food outlets and electronics showrooms are in this market. On the sidewalks sit the hawkers selling books, socks, calendars, art, smokes or just smuggled goods. Now of course the place is known as Rajeev Chowk and that is the name of the metro station. Long before the underground rail there existed the Palika Bazar which is as in a true sense of the terms an underground market. This is a market for common folks, with cheap clothes and cheap electronic’s abound they say you an get anything in this market for a steal. So if you want to fetch a good bargain and not very fussy about brands , you must try Palika Bazar. I grabbed a kakori kebab ( and boy those kababs have history!) from the near by Chacha Kebabs and strolled into the Oden Big Cinema where my platinum seat was awaiting . The movie 10 Clover field Lane seemed like a bit of the M. Night Shyamalan types. It had John Goodman as the central character, who has kept two people in his doomsday bunker and according to him helping them live .

Since the world has ended with an apocalyptic attack, the air has been contaminated and they have to be in the bunker for years. That is the subjugation and the chemistry between the characters who are caught up in this suffocating situation is what gives the movie it’s tempo. Sudden rush of blood scenes and fights give an added edge to the film. Over all a refreshing experience .

It was late in the afternoon and wanted my lunch so I went to the Taj Palace for a buffet brunch and used my Taj Inner Circle Gold card to settle the bill. I got a 50% discount instantly. I topped myself up with lot’s of lemonade and sherbet to keep myself going in the blistering heat.

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All in all another eventful day as I plan for a next league of adventures!