Horn OK Please: Why This Fest May (or May Not) Be for You

Instax Polaroid Pic

Death by Chocolate Waffle

Kushagra Thakur

Maninder Buttar

Maninder Buttar

Dosa Coffee

It's Me

It’s Sunday morning, 17.11.2024. I had no plans to step out—just doing my usual chores, nothing exciting. But honestly, I think even God doesn’t want me to stay home, no matter how hard I try. Out of nowhere, my sister calls and says, “Horn OK Please” Fest chalein? And well, you know me—how could I say no to someone asking me face-to-face? Hehe :)

Once I agreed, I thought of asking my parents if they wanted to tag along. At first, they said yes, but then they remembered the last time I dragged them to the fest. The crowd, no seating, and overall chaos weren’t exactly their vibe, so they backed out. With that, I got ready and headed out.

Everything was going fine—until I stepped out of the house. Barely a minute away, I noticed an unusual gathering of people on the road. Traffic jam? Here? That never happens. As I got closer, the scene was heartbreaking—two boys were lying on the road, lifeless, bleeding, after their bike collided with a Fortuner.

I froze. The sight was so disturbing it brought me to tears. A crowd had gathered, but for once, no one was busy filming videos. Instead, they were helping, moving the boys to the side—a rare glimmer of humanity in such a grim moment.

I couldn’t hold myself together. I called my mom, tears streaming, and told her what had happened. Her immediate reaction was, “Wapas aa jao, don’t go.” She knew I’d cry the entire time if I went. I hung up, and my sister called, asking what happened. I told her everything, still crying, and she said, “Don’t come. It’s too upsetting.”

But after crying it out for a good 10 minutes, I made up my mind. If I stay home, I’ll keep overthinking about it. So, I pulled myself together, played some music, and headed to the fest—still sobbing but determined to move forward.

fest

I finally reached and got inside, only to feel like the entire Delhi was there—too crowded. Plus, it was 6 PM, and it already felt like 8 because of the darkness. Still, we made the most of it. We clicked some pictures and indulged in round one: potato twisters, white sauce pasta, momos, fries, and waffles. Everything was good!

After that, we wandered through a few stalls to see if something caught our eye but didn’t end up buying anything. Once we were done eating, we explored a bit more and then headed straight to the stage area to vibe with the live music. Kushagra Thakur was performing (no idea who he is), but he sang well, so we stayed and enjoyed the songs.

And now comes the fun part—nature’s call. It had been urgent even before I entered the fest, but I kept delaying it because the washroom was at the other end of the venue. Finally, I couldn’t wait any longer. The trek to the washroom was a struggle—dim lighting (probably because all the lights were focused on the stage) and a queue so long it could put Zara and the Apple store to shame. The most amusing part? Only the girls' queue was long; there was no queue for boys!

To top it off, a heated argument broke out between four girls in the line, complete with shouting and cursing. I decided to ignore the drama and focused on surviving the wait. After 40 minutes (yes, 40!), I finally made it.

Once done, I went back to my sister, vibed to the music, clicked more pictures, and even got an Instax photo clicked for ₹150. We had a good time as Maninder Buttar, the Punjabi singer, took the stage. I’ve only heard a few of his songs, like:

"Ni ik tera suit... Ni ik teri gaani..."

..."Main sab kujh chhad dita tere karke..."

and a few more...

It’s always more fun when you know the lyrics, but standing at 5’2” with people 5’11” and 6’0” in front of me was a challenge. I eventually climbed onto a table to get a better view, managed to take some nice videos, and enjoyed myself a bit.

Round two of food was next: kathi kebab rumali roti, pav bhaji, and dosa. Honestly, the dosa was the only thing I liked. Meanwhile, Maninder Buttar kept singing in the background, though I didn’t recognize most of the songs.

The next artist was Raftaar, but by then, I had decided I wasn’t going to stay. After attending such fests a few times, I’ve realized they aren’t for me. Maybe it’s because no one’s enjoying the moment—everyone’s either on their phone capturing videos or just there for the food.

In the end, I think these fests are all about figuring out what makes you happy—whether it’s the food, the music, or just being out and about with your people. For me, while the experience had its fun moments, it also reminded me that not every plan is meant to be a vibe. Sometimes, it’s okay to try, learn, and move on.

So, if you’ve never been, go ahead and see for yourself. Who knows? You might just love it—or like me, you might decide it’s better to enjoy your Sunday in a quieter, more personal way. Either way, it’s all about finding what feels right for you.

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