A solo visit to Bangalore was a rather impromptu decision made by my mother who thought I needed a break. I didnt have too many expectations because the friend I was going to visit is in a private firm with demanding office hours. During the bus ride from the airport, I was musing along the lines of having multiple cups of kaapi (filter coffee), reading random magazines and enjoying the pleasant weather. I even downloaded the recent version of Adobe reader to assure myself of some excitement.
Staring outside the window, I tried to capture as much as I could as a photograph-in-motion. I noticed that Bengaluru is an urban area which has not yet lived up to the distinction of a 'city'. The land, lakes and trees crave for some me-time but the people consider theirs more important. The IT boom that took birth in this city has now given offsprings in form of malls, highways and countless vehicles. The pedestrians find it hard to walk on the side as there are few roads with parallel footpaths. Yet there are those pockets of rich biodiversity that stand rock-solid despite knowing that the high-rise buildings are now coming closer to them. These mini bio-reserves are community-managed and are often called the 'lungs of the city'.
As soon as I got down the bus right infront of her office, I saw her standing across the road. I felt so light that moment; as if I had dropped my load of worries somewhere on the way. I hugged her tight feeling a fresh sense of revival even though it was a busy traffic road. We had so much to talk at that instant but we kept smiling at each other. She took me to the cafe in her company area having a nerve-soothing ambience, where I had my first cup of kaapi! The first sip was enough to prove that Kaapi is not coffee, its an emotion!
The catching-up was long overdue so we ignored the ticking of the clock and the setting of the sun! While we disclosed the things that troubled us, delighted us and amazed us, there were moments of quick laughter. We force fed each other on fruits and snacks, just like ol' times!
Next morning, we went for a stroll around Kaikondrahalli Lake near Sarjapur road that turned out to be a perfect welcome for me! I couldn't stop gazing at the beautifully-hued painted storks, the fish-tailed bird called drongo and the eye-catching pelicans. A painted stork caught our attention when it was trying to swallow a big fish which was difficult for the stork to take in. The stork tried twisting it at all angles to fit it in but she had to let it go as the eagles were now circling from above. I guess sometime we overestimate our own abilities, the ability to overcome our fears the ability to handle it all on our own. Maybe if the stork had a friend, they could have shared a sumptuous meal! Later in the day, I went solo touring around Bangalore- the metro, the people, the cafes and the bookshops. I see a distinctive difference in people- more polite and less inquisitive. I was also happy to see that majority of the staff at metro stations were females which is an empowering signal. Just then a woman walks past me with a tee saying,"The future is female." My body just felt an extra dash of dopamine release! Coming back to the sightseeing, I visited the local silk handloom outlets, the high-walled Bangalore fort and the pillaried Tipu Sultan's residence. The Vidhan Soudha building is magnificent in its expanse and the inscription "Government's work is God's work" added to its grandeur.
The next day my friend took me to a place I can't forget. The Karnataka government deluxe bus for Chikmagluru (244 km away from Bangalore) was an extremely comfortable ride. The coconut palm trees were planted just like the soldiers standing for their upcoming march; identical and equidistant. I could see the husk around the bottom of the tree which, I learnt, helps in preserving the moisture. Our first bullet on the travel list was the highest peak in Karnataka - Mullyangiri peak. Due to the rain, mist and high-speed wind, we couldn't reach till the peak. I was the hesitant one and felt the guilt of spoiling my friend's expedition. She, however, helped me understand that one may feel the itch of being over-cautious or lax but atleast one can have something to look forward to; to come back and scale the peak one day with the very same friend! While she seemed disappointed, she looked me in the eye and said that she will get over it like many other disappointments in her life. Little does she know that she is no where close to being one in my life!
Our next stopover was the coffee plantations in a cosy accommodation called Zostel. The two varieties of coffee- arabica and robusta coexist here. While Robusta has bigger (read 'Robust'!) leaves, Arabica gets the coffee beans earlier. We learnt that coffee is cultivated with tall trees as direct sunlight is not desirable. The plantation had silver oak on which the pepper climbers were wound. So, wherever our eyes roamed, all we saw was a enthralling fusion of sage, shamrock, parakeet, emerald and seafoam - different shades of green! What a pristine view! If the description isn't enough, I saw those lush green plantations in my dreams for two nights in a row.
As the trip came to a close, I couldn't thank my friend enough for going that extra mile to make my visit memorable. Her gracious gestures and possessive postures can make anyone feel special! I read somewhere-
"You can pack for every occasion but a good friend will always be the best thing you could bring!"
Thank you, Maddie!
Another Decent Read for me..Thanks Akshita.
ReplyDelete