The Return
Bangalore or (to be politically correct)Bangalooru appeared a random assemblage of clustered settlements encircled all around by a melange' of narrow black bands. The monotony of this scene was often broken by occassional patches of green symbolising playgrounds or a mass of still dark liquid that probably stood for a lake or a pond. I was a silent and awe-struck witness to this scenery from 12000 feet above the ground abraod flight 9W-737 of Jet Airways, that incidently was, my maiden air journey. The last 50 minutes seemed to had passed in a frantic whirlpool of feelings that ranged from elation to fear as I looked out of the window, down into the deep white misty abyss of clouds and contemplated on my vulnerbility. And now, as flight supervisor announced our arrival at the destination, I somehow could not help feeling stupid about covering this 50 minute journey in 12 hours though I knew full well that I would soon be repeating this stupidity!
Very soon the plane swooped down the runway like a vulture plunging on its helpless pray and a gentle thud of wheels touching the ground with the skidding sound of brakes being applied told me that I had been grounded to the level of petty earthlings once again. The building which just seconds ago appeared like tiny dots now stood tall and seemed to mock my apparant demotion. So back in Bangalooru, the city of opportunities, where as the legend goes, a stone thrown at random would most likely hit a software engineer...I wondered what future holds for me and I marvelled how will I fare in this stint of mine!
Fare negotiation with auto driver was precluded by the way he smartly put on the meter the moment I plunged inside. In 2 minutes I was out into the frantic Bangalore evening traffic..cars, bikes, scooters, autos and pedestrians..everyone jostling for road space and this mellee' seemed to be only worsened by the red lights I encountered every 200 meters on the road. My friend was staying in a place called E.G Pura. "Its a 2 BHK with 7500Rs rent", he had informed me. And then as if to be on a safer side, he had duely added: "..but the locality is not so good..". Not even his most earnest riders would have prepared me for the sight I witnessed 15 minutes later.
The auto turned into a side street that branched off from the main road. "Not so bad..", I thought. The road was still broad and the houses on either side looked descent. And then it took another turn..this time in a street lined with cheap bakery, tea and accessories shops..this one was narrower. The descent houses had reduced to one floored independent buildings.."still tolerable.." I hoped that it was the end..but I was wrong..it was the beginning. Another turn took the auto into a lane that might be easily compared to the shabby alley next to our ancestral house at Hardoi. It was a dirty narrow alley, with children freely criss-crossing the road and 1 room houses clustered together randomly on its sides. And just when I thought that this might be the abode of some hapless creatures with meagre earnings, my myth was duely busted when I saw a guy flaunting an IBM tag entering into a caverenous stairway that led to a small 2-room house.
Welcome to E.G Pura Slums, the Software Engineer ghetto, where a "3 BHK" shanty accomodating "Software Engineers" from MNCs will cost Rs. 7500 per month! And they say that outsiders have ruined Bangalooru..!!!
Very soon the plane swooped down the runway like a vulture plunging on its helpless pray and a gentle thud of wheels touching the ground with the skidding sound of brakes being applied told me that I had been grounded to the level of petty earthlings once again. The building which just seconds ago appeared like tiny dots now stood tall and seemed to mock my apparant demotion. So back in Bangalooru, the city of opportunities, where as the legend goes, a stone thrown at random would most likely hit a software engineer...I wondered what future holds for me and I marvelled how will I fare in this stint of mine!
Fare negotiation with auto driver was precluded by the way he smartly put on the meter the moment I plunged inside. In 2 minutes I was out into the frantic Bangalore evening traffic..cars, bikes, scooters, autos and pedestrians..everyone jostling for road space and this mellee' seemed to be only worsened by the red lights I encountered every 200 meters on the road. My friend was staying in a place called E.G Pura. "Its a 2 BHK with 7500Rs rent", he had informed me. And then as if to be on a safer side, he had duely added: "..but the locality is not so good..". Not even his most earnest riders would have prepared me for the sight I witnessed 15 minutes later.
The auto turned into a side street that branched off from the main road. "Not so bad..", I thought. The road was still broad and the houses on either side looked descent. And then it took another turn..this time in a street lined with cheap bakery, tea and accessories shops..this one was narrower. The descent houses had reduced to one floored independent buildings.."still tolerable.." I hoped that it was the end..but I was wrong..it was the beginning. Another turn took the auto into a lane that might be easily compared to the shabby alley next to our ancestral house at Hardoi. It was a dirty narrow alley, with children freely criss-crossing the road and 1 room houses clustered together randomly on its sides. And just when I thought that this might be the abode of some hapless creatures with meagre earnings, my myth was duely busted when I saw a guy flaunting an IBM tag entering into a caverenous stairway that led to a small 2-room house.
Welcome to E.G Pura Slums, the Software Engineer ghetto, where a "3 BHK" shanty accomodating "Software Engineers" from MNCs will cost Rs. 7500 per month! And they say that outsiders have ruined Bangalooru..!!!
posted by Techie Author at 5:39 PM
1 Comments:
Bengaluru tales!
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