“Delhi has something for everyone,” says Amrita Bhasin of Fursat Se.
Good things are a rule in Delhi, not exception. People are nice; they are not snobbish as perceived. Why I say this is because when I started Fursat Se, the support I received both from strangers and my friends was tremendous. Fursat Se is a cultural café that hosts theatrical performances, film screenings, book club meetings, photography and art exhibitions, poetry and literary writing sessions, cultural programmes and workshops, all for free. In Fursat Se, the walls are used for artwork, the rooms are used for theatre rehearsals and the rest of the space is given to freelancers so that they are comfortable and can work for hours.
But though my purpose was to serve the city, Delhi has grown attached to Fursat Se as well. Whoever walks in contributes in his or her own way. For example, the students who walk in here write blogs about us, the artists who visit here paint graphics on the wall, professionals coming in here offer to organise different cultural events to spread the word. In fact, my friends in the financial sector are coming up with innovative business models for me to offset the charge of providing free services to people. Just the other day, somebody came looking for an exhibition space and they liked us so much that they donated us a refrigerator. That’s how welcoming Delhi has been towards me and Fursat Se.
What I love most about the city is the variety that it offers. There’s something for everybody here. If you are a woman, you can go shopping for the costliest of brands or you can indulge in bargaining at Janpath or Sarojini Nagar. Then there are so many charming corners in the city such as Purani Dilli. It has such a rich history and its nooks and crannies still have the old world charm despite being in this fast-paced city.
I also love hanging out at Connaught Place and by extension, India Gate. They are the classics of this city. But my latest favourite is Khan Market. You can be as included in the crowd as you want to be or you can have all the privacy in the world there.
But during the hot Delhi summer, I just look for the nearest air-conditioned bookstore that also has a coffee shop and spend my entire day there. But now that I have Fursat Se, I don’t need to look anywhere else.
The author is the owner of Fursat Se, a cultural café
at Shapur Jat.