Pocket Diary Book Club

PDBC KI JANTA – Nija, Priya, Shivani, Bhavita, Sameer, Chirag, Saurabh, Srijan, Prince, Anushri, Abhiraj, Meghna, Reena, Drishta, Mitesh, Anagha

Stories from 07.08.2024

Srijan_12.08.2024_3:20P.M.
I made a very hasty decision by booking my tickets for Ahmedabad for 2 days later on the evening of 7 August. There was a lot of apprehension but also a hope that the first day in the city would be spent with very good people and for a noble cause, so as scary as it may look, at least I will be starting on a good note.
I boarded the Agra-Ahmedabad superfast express only with Priya Mam’s advice in my head, “Don’t eat a lot of kachra(junk) in the train, we have a big day ahead of us.” As simple as this may sound, it was a task for me. The only way I could think of achieving this, was to sleep through the entire journey. I reached Ahmedabad at 11:30 am in the morning and by 1 o’clock we had left for Vrundavan Dham. And this time, neither I nor Chirag sir were driving any car and hence I did not have to keep up with him (Ifykyk).

We reached the Bhajiya place first and met with all the members visiting this time. The fact that the turnout visiting Vrundavan Dham this time around was very motivating. Also, Mitesh Bhai, Nija Ji, Priya Mam and Chirag Sir were absolutely slaying in their PDBC shirts. 

We immediately started interacting with the people while some people started plating the Bhajiyas and chai that we had bought for the residents. The fun began after the residents had their snacks. We started with a game of tambola. Bhavita Ji in her signature dramatic style, took the center stage and hosted the game. Even though I had played Tambola before as well, I was not well versed with the rules of the game. I had to ask Saurabh a lot of times before I finally got a hold of it. Overall it was a very wholesome experience for us and for the residents as well. They enjoyed the game a lot and the winners even got a prize.

The one thing in which the monsoon visit was different from the summer one was the fact that because we had planned these activities, we got less time to interact with the residents. What this did was, I was able to take a lot of pictures of the residents enjoying all of these activities.  There were a lot of new faces and talking to the people I had met earlier was a lot easier. 

 After putting all the supplies we had brought with us in the resident’s rooms, Chirag Sir called me and showed me a bookshelf in a very dilapidated state. We took it outside and cleaned it as much as we could. Then started the setting up of the library. Everybody came to the mandir and started repairing the shelf. I think all of us did a very good job.

The day ended with me, Chirag Sir, Priya Mam and Abhiraj going to an orphanage to donate some supplies and the books.

While going back to the studio we realized something very interesting:

“इस बार हमने अपना एंटरटेनमेंट कि जगह , वृन्दावन धाम के बुज़ुर्गों के एंटरटेनमेंट का ज़्यादा ध्यान रखा”
And that created a lot of difference.
Once again PDBC’s initiative made me value the importance of community and gave me yet another humbling experience.
I thank everybody who showed up on a Sunday and made it a memorable experience.  

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Prince 

I left for the studio around 10.30 am, only to meet with heavy rain. I had to stop, wear a raincoat. I got to the club, soaking wet from the rain and met with Priya and Chirag. We waited for everyone to come with supplies. After everyone was at the ADG studio, I was tasked with writing down the count of each type of item we gathered for donation, which I did, only to accidentally delete it moments later after it’s completion. We left and loaded everything up in cars, and I got into Saurabh’s car and picked up Srijan. After we picked him up and started talking, we somehow lost everyone as we were following the instructions of Lord google maps 😀. 

We kinda took a detour through some rough, narrow and beautiful route only to be stopped by a head of Buffaloes. We finally reached the bhajiya house my mind went to a flashback of the last trip. We finally reached our destination, this is where my work started, I was responsible for taking pictures and videos. Thankfully, due to Priya’s reminder, to charge  my phone from 88% to 100% in the the office, it survived the day without dying. 

Honestly, overall experience itself was a bliss, made me think of life but, let’s not go deep into philosophy here. I was a bit sad about not seeing some old faces and curious about seeing some new faces. We all played games, really wanted to tag the story of priya and bhavita with the caption of #gamemastergogo with audio from Andaz Apna Apna but unfortunately didn’t get the chance to do so. 

We ended our day there after setting up a library there even though the ordered shelves didn’t arrive that day, courtesy of delivery company. Chirag found a jugaad which we repaired and set with newspapers taped and made good as new to use. 

We left for the bajiya house again, and stopped by a place to give away remaining clothes and went back to the slum area, where we gave some necessary supplies, after which where I left with Meghna and Mitesh for dinner as Chirag , Priya and few others went to an orphanage to give out some remaining books and supplies .

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Saurabh

I am truly grateful to PDBC for giving me the opportunity to visit the Vrindavan Old Age Home — a visit I had long wanted to make but hadn’t found the right avenue until now. Collaborating with Chirag, Priya, and the entire team was a pleasure, as we brought smiles to the faces of the residents. The joy in their eyes was priceless. 

The excitement began with a message: “Car people cannot cancel tomorrow.” While I don’t drive often, I had made my decision and was committed to seeing it through. When I arrived, some members were already at the studio, and we began sorting through the donations while others continued to arrive, bringing more items and laughter.

Both Prince and I were tasked with picking up Srijan, so we made slow progress on the highway, navigating the moving but frustrating traffic. Srijan led us on a scenic detour using Google Maps, which made me feel like I was driving on an open road, free of traffic, with the exception of a few wandering buffaloes.

As we approached the Vrindavan Old Age Home, a sense of serenity filled the air. I could hear the birds chirping and the leaves rustling — a stark contrast to the city noise I’m used to. We even spotted some birds that have become nearly invisible in urban areas.

I’m not great at remembering new names, so I respectfully stuck to addressing the residents as Kaka and Baa. I had meaningful conversations with a few of the Kakas, learning about their lives, what they did in their younger years, and what brings them joy today. These interactions were particularly special to me, as I’ve never had the chance to connect with my own grandparents.

Bhavita Ji, you were right—you don’t need a mic! And Priya, Bhavita, whether you’re teachers in this life or a past one, you both reminded me of some of my school faculties. Tambola was a blast, even though we (the kaka’s I was sitting with) were just one number away from winning twice!

I hope they enjoy the gifts we brought, as this experience has inspired me to do even more. Unfortunately, I couldn’t visit the orphanage during the last leg of our trip, but I’m confident the kids will appreciate the books we left for them.

Once again, I’m thankful — this time to the stars, and funnily enough, Instagram — for connecting me with PDBC.