Being back 2 Bangalore !!

Two years or may be more !! They say time flies and I look back to find indeed it has flown so fast. Its just two years when I was part of this city. Time when I was completely settled here. When word Kormangala seemed like my home just like it does to any IT personnel who does not belong to this city (because most North Indians tend to live here or at BTM ... and I still do not know the full form of BTM). Time when longingness for Delhi was so profound that seeing a vehicle bearing Delhi or Chandigarh number would make me happy. When going on long-long walks with friends in the middle of night or may be wee hours of morning on ring road or vast stretch of Marathahalli was routine affair. Planning a weekend to outskirts of Bangalore was an activity much yearned for that made me look forward to completion of weekdays.There was something that took me away from this part of the world to Chennai, to US and back to Chandigarh to Noida and then finally to Pune. Going home after an onsite travel was fun but leaving Bangalore was never planned. Infact when I left Bangalore I never thought that I was leaving it for good. But I left, leaving so many friends, memories behind.

Here I am today, back to the same world which has changed so much. Just like how I left this place, I had never planned to come back here till this tuesday evening when suddenly I was informed that I had an opportunity of going to Bangalore. I was excited and may be scared too. I knew I wanted so much to come here but I dreaded the refreshing of past memories which would come alive. I dreaded so much missing all my dear friends with whom I have lived my best times here. All has changed but there is still something that I am liking so much.

Even despite working late hours (read 2 am in the morning) I have been able to go to places like Girinagar, Vijaynagar and touch upon the heart of Bangalore, places where natives of Bangalore are (there are many more like those but I had stayed in these two places). The early morning hustle bustle, the mad traffic, dangerous BMTC, KSRTC buses and not forget autorockshaw walas, upcoming malls and associated crowds talking Kannada which I still cannot understand. It sounds so much of my own. The feel of recognising the old lanes and streets and where is what enthralls me to the core. Nodoubt there are loads of changes too. For instance, I could not travel from airport to Electronic city via Domlur, inner ring road, Kormangala and instead came from Marathahalli , Sarjapur and finally Silkroute. It was indeed my victory to reach EC in record 1 hour and 15 minutes from airport which otherwise takes 2 hours in peak office hours. The places called Marathahalli which was once known for its factory outlets has become a second Kormangala. I was longing to see a patch of vast fields on the outer ring road with no buildings but to no use. It has become yet another dense patch of the concrete jungle. With concrete jungle I mean the city of Bangalore which was so much known for its beauty and weather. The life here meant peace and security in beautiful environment. Two years back when I asked one of my friends, who hailed from Bangalore, a wish that he would want granted from God he immediately said that he wanted Bangalore to be made the place that it was 5 years back. Ask me the same question today and I know I want the same wish granted for Bangalore and Chandigarh which are fast moving on the lines of Bangalore and I do not know what next. But change has to happen sometimes for good and sometimes not so much to our liking and as we always say...Life goes on and it will go on !!

I have been busy with work and did not get even few minutes to catch up with few friends who are here and are equally excited about my visit. Visiting this city is unlike those sole travels that I like so much. Being here means being in company of friends, the gangs who can have fun anywhere and everywhere. With whom the life is fun where ever and when ever. I wish to catch upon atleast some of them till tomorrow evening when I fly back to Pune.... not knowing when to return to this beautiful city, Bangalore !!