But before I begin, let me put in a word of thanks: The impromptu trip would never have been as unforgettable as it indeed was if it wasn’t for the affable company of Ms. V (with her flawless imitation of regional accents of south India, and constant stock of witty comebacks), Sid (the one and only, who can snatch the better end of any deal, even out of Shylock!) and Mr. Int (our reluctant ‘guide’,to whom the ‘sense of direction’ came naturally; He led us through the intriguing maze of streets in Old Delhi).
So, now, there we were, outside Andhra Bhawan, after a sumptuous lunch, wondering what to do on a languid sunny Saturday afternoon. After several rounds of discussion, the group had reached a consensus to visit Old Delhi. I was excited at the mere mention of the place, even if it was just to walk on the streets of Chandni Chowk.
The four of us set out for ‘PuraniDilli’ in an auto (auto rickshaw). We managed to get there without hurting our pockets thanks to Sid’s negotiation skills – it should not take you more than Rs. 80/- to get there, form Andhra Bhawan. To get to Old Delhi, we crossed a fly over, towards the left of which were the head offices of all the leading newspapers of the country. The city’s traffic did not bog us down as much as we feared it would.
The road to Old Delhi was redolent of the city’s days of yore – the old buildings, sign-boards, narrow streets, the cycle rickshaws, the roadside vendors, bustling swarms of people. We stopped at the nearest metro station and took a ride to the next station (Chawri Bazaar).
We were at ‘Delhi – 6’ in no time. Here, the streets narrowed down still further. Streets were allotted to a particular line of business, I guess – we found a string of ‘Wedding card’ printing houses. Then, we walked along ‘Nai Sarak’ which focused on stationary and books of all sorts. And yes,there were several road-side shops that looked like oases to the weary-travellers that we were, selling local-delicaciesor even a tall tumbler of cool refreshing Lassi or a fizzy glass Lime-soda.
As we walked further, we came across the imposing dome structure of Jama Masjid. The largest and the best-known mosque in India was our next stop, soon after a brief pit stop, at the much-famed Karim’s – the Mughal restaurant. {I highly recommend the Sheik Mutton Kabab, although every dish here is a delicacy!}
The mosque was truly enchanting – the wide courtyard (capable of holding as many as 25000 worshippers at a time), the peaceful ambience, the breathtaking view of the busy city from the tower…
After spending the evening at the mosque, we headed back to the metro station. To get there, we had to walk through the market area that was right outside the mosque – an extensive collection of traditional Islamic objects, attire, accessories and cosmetics (Kohl, attar, etc) are available here for ‘discounted rates’.
Once outside the market, we took an auto rickshaw to go to India Gate. We passed the Red Fort on our way, but did not make a stop there as it was past 6 – the light and sound show would start only by 7.30pm.
We reached India Gate in less than 15 minutes. The war memorial looked commanding and stately in the soft recessed lighting, against the night sky.
The monument is well-maintained and guarded by soldiers. Just looking at the magnificent structure and reading the inscription on it would fill an Indian’s heart with pride and awe, and I’m sure he/she would salute the brave jawans, if not in the open, at least in his/her mind – I know I did!
The excitement of the day and good food had drained us enough, by then. So, we caught another auto to the nearest metro station to get back to our place of stay. On our way back to Noida, we reminisced the good time we had in the Old City of Delhi, and here’s my two cents – Soaking up the culture and beat of Purani Dilli is done best on foot and with a set of friends who does not mind the hassle. 
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You are right! Facts are stubborn things