"Babuji, kuchh loge?" the young boy often pops in to my room, asking if i would like anything.

His is a polite voice, the voice of a twelve year old that has yet not broken. Sometimes, i would ask for a tea; sometimes not. He happily nods on both ocassions.

"Babuji" i like the address, although im not old enough for it. And no, this hotel is not either as old or as unposh as a "babuji" would have made you believe. It's comfortable..... at any rate for old delhi!

They have hired a lot of young country boys from himachal and the neighbouring ranges. Born to the mountains, these boys are immune to the bad ways of big city life. The innocuous "babuji", said with a coy smile, invites you to believe that.

It also reminds me of the old hindi movies- watched many summers ago on doordarshan- where such endearment was common...

"Babuji!" it conjures up a bygone time, i'd love travelling back to!