In the heart of Old Delhi’s iconic Chandni Chowk, where the heritage streets echoed with the clinking of utensils and the enticing aromas of street delights such as the scent of samosas and parathas mingled with the lively chatter of vendors, two shop owners, Mr. Seth and Mr. Bhuchar, were at the centre stage of age-old rivalry. The roots of their relationship ran deep, dating back to their childhood days where they were classmates in the D section at the same school. While their families had thrived through generations in the business of serving Chandni Chowk’s culinary specialities, their ambition extended beyond the culinary realm and encompassed their aspirations for leadership in the Old Delhi Restaurants Owners’ Association.
This rivalry between Seth and Bhuchar families went beyond business competition; it ran deep in their veins, fuelled by a shared history and fierce longing for the prestigious position of heading the restaurant association. Their competitive banter had become legendary among the vendors and patrons of Chandni Chowk, akin to the dramatic dialogues straight out of a Bollywood blockbuster. Whether engaging in their routine tennis battles at the Masonic Club at Civil Lines, where they played doubles matches, obviously, on opposite sides, or challenging each other in the culinary realm, their exchanges echoed the drama and flair of iconic Hindi film dialogues. “Bhuchar, association there akele kin nahi hai, hum sab share holder hai”, Seth gagged frequently using the dialogue form the famous Bollywood movie, “Jane Bhi Do Yaaro”.
On the tennis court the stakes were just as high as in the restaurant association – every point contested with passion, and with no hawk-eye system in place, the decisions were always “within the margin of error,” leading to umpire disputes and much amusement for the onlookers, such as Mr Ahuja.
The Election:
As Mr. Seth and Mr. Bhuchar geared up to contest the association’s presidency, their contrasting visions came to the forefront. Mr. Bhuchar, with his acumen for real estate and deep rooted understanding of property landscape, proposed a modern facelift for Chandni Chowk, envisioning a mall set up which would centralize vendors, provide ample seating, and car parking facilities. One the flip side, Mr. Seth, sticking to his old-school sensibilities with the passion of classic entertainment, favoured the establishments current charm, ensuring improved cleanliness and the revival of the cultural heritage without altering the essence of Old Delhi’s gastronomic landscape.
In the heat of the association elections, Mr. Bhuchar emerged as the victor, but the narrow margin of victory fell “within the margin of error,” sparkling a demand for a recount from Mr. Seth’s camp. Despite the suspense, after the recount, the tables turned, and Mr. Seth was declared the winner, yet again, “within the margin of error,” leading to a flurry of animated reactions among the vendors and association members. It was like Mr. Seth and Mr. Bhuchar were both serving double faults in this election drama.
With the relentless election drama unfolding, fate had another twist in store with Mr. Seth and Mr. Bhuchar habitual early sleepers scrambling past their bedtime. As the recount dragged into the night, the impending interclub tennis tournament looming over them, both found themselves in a comical dilemma. Desperate to secure the coveted front seat as they spotted the lone taxi, they engaged in a hilarious skirmish, each offering the cab driver more money – akin to a frantic margin call in the stock market – to snag the prime spot. However, their pleas were met with a resounding refusal leading to a resigned acceptance of their fate, as they settled into the back seat of the taxi together. They could not even do a fare fight.
Amidst the erratic chaos of the third recount, a surprising resolution emerged. The supporters, dismayed by the absence of both the candidates and by their ever ongoing rivalry, defied expectations and pivoted towards a collaborative solution. The returning officer Mr. Ahuja, crowned Mr. Bansal as compromise candidate. Mr. Bansal served up an ace straight from the rival ‘E’ section playbook, leaving both the ‘D’ section guys reminiscing about the strategic backhands of their school days.
Serving for the Match :
On the fateful morning of the interclub tennis tournament, Mr. Seth and Mr. Bhuchar found themselves in an unchartered territory, forging an unconventional alliance as doubles partners, due to their regular teammates falling ill. They had already aced the art of volleying against each other, and were now serving together. Reluctantly nestling in unfamiliar companionship, they unearthed a hidden synergy, leveraging their shared history.
They knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses and though they did not exchange a single word during their game, they anticipated and complimented each other’s game flawlessly, surprising even themselves with their seamless coordination and skill, epitomizing that even amidst rivalry, success can emerge, well within the “margin of error.”
Both Mr. Seth and Mr. Bhuchar ended up winning every game in the tournament and after a few weeks clinched the finals of the interclub doubles tournament.
As the dust settled and moments of triumph filled the air, a light-hearted squabble emerged as both Mr. Seth and Mr. Bhuchar vied for a picture with Ms. Sharma, the ladies singles champion who was also crowed Ms. Chandni Chowk that very year. It looked like she really aced their hearts.
The Comedy because of Errors :
Their hopes were dashed away when Mr. Bansal, the newly elected head of the association, serving more surprises, was asked to step in, by Mr. Ahuja, to present the trophy to Ms. Sharma seizing the opportunity for the desired selfie. It seems that the E Section strategies were still at play.
Mr. Seth and Mr. Bhuchar exchanged a glace of disbelief, a twinge of regret flickering in their eyes as they pondered what could have been if fate had swayed differently in the election. Alas, destiny had a mischievous way of playing out “within the margin of error”. Amidst a shared laugh on the game of fate a new friendship blossomed between them. From that day onwards, it was a tale of net – love all.”
But, old habits die hard. So may I say, “Love all – within the margin of error.”