Bablu, Kohli and Laxman are familiar names for any IIFTian. They are a part of the army of dhabas that surround the campus. These dhabas are the lifeline of the college. These are the go-to places in the breaks for a chai or bournvita. They provide the most affordable food for students according to their customized needs. When you are away from home this is what keeps you going. I am sure each IIFTian will credit a part of their degree to these dhabas which provide you the parathas, maggis, chais and Tzingas at all times and keep you going.
Every dhaba has its own loyal set of customers and each will have its own famous dishes. Each would also have its own crowd pulling strategy from lower prices to credit accounts to banners of
Ranbir Kapoor eating at their fast food joint. Yes, you read it right!! One dhaba claims it had served its famous parathas to Ranbir Kapoor and it would also boast of creative items like “
sexy paneer” and “
sexy chicken” in its menu.
(Pic courtesy BCMTouring.com)
The one thing which gets everyone addicted to the dhabas is the flexible credit system. You can just “open an account” with one of them; which essentially means that you make an entry with your name in the register. All you need to do, after you have had all you desired, is to enter the amount you owe in your account yourself. The system has made people live their lives on credit alone. Carrying wallets is no more essential. Sumptuous parathas and chai are always just an entry away.
The good food, affordable prices and quality are just a part of the whole experience, what makes it special is the memories that it creates. These places would always be buzzing with people from campus and some of the most illogical discussion would also take place here. You will never forget the parathas that saved you from starving because you didn’t eat anything even at the after party or the tzinga you got at 5 in the morning for an all-nighter before the exam, only to sleep right after getting back. These are the reason that you still come back to these places even after you have graduated. It’s much more than just an eating joint, it’s part of the culture.
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Ishan Arora is a student from IIFT who has had a very regular life- an engineer, an IT professional and now an MBA student. He is very passionate about writing and writes on a personal blog
A Vent in the Delirium. He is also in love with music and plays an internet radio in his college.
