Charm-inar

We'll be a year old in Bangalore come June. A little difficult to fathom the fact that we survived the city. Yes, We were the ones who wanted to consciously shift out of Hyderabad. 'For a more independent and interference free life' we had said, when we wanted to move. And we are getting all of that. Lots of us-time and all that. But, what i really really miss is the Hyderabaadi charm. One can never get enough of it. My work with an Ngo there took me to the remotest of places, places where the true 'khattar' hyderabad lives. And unlike what most say about the old city, I enjoyed roaming aimlessly in the bylanes of charminar and Laad bazaar in my sleeveless fab India tops and jeans, with out a care. Any Hyderabaadi can rave about 'famous icecreams' near mozamzahi market and Lucky's Chicken Biryani. And true to what they say, the rich Reddys and the middle class Aparna Das Sadhukhans have all been there and done that to know and be a true Hyderabadi. The people are equally charming. I fall for both, the tehzeeb and the 'kaiku' types. The nawabi attitude is deep rooted in all - be it the wholesale vendors of begum bazaar or the old khandaani muslims of the city. It's a different feeling all together. A feeling of know everything, the walls, the rocks, the water, the people, the food, the air.

I am yet to discover that part of Bangalore. Being in the retail arm of the ad agency i work for, i have been to the wholesale markets and the plush malls of Bengalooru. But i didn't really get to feel the culture and the pulse of the city. It will, am sure, take me longer to figure out the people and the places of this completely hyped city.

Am in no hurry....