Hope in a Shroud of Smoke

We've all heard, read, and seen enough negative stuff about Bangalore, and we get enough reasons to crib. Every day on the way to work and back, we lament upon how much time we have to spend on the road. We complain about the bad roads, narrow roads, traffic jams, noise, pollution, reckless Volvo drivers and cabbies, and so on. But if there's a dark side of the moon, there's a bright side too.

Behind the veil of problems is a city that has so much more to it. So it's no serendipity when I was delighted at the sights, sounds, and smells that my city has to offer. For once, I wasn't complaining, but only enjoying and absorbing the beauty of Bangalore.

It was a usual Sunday morning. My day started early as I had planned to go cycling. I'm not used to cycling on Bangalore roads, so I decided to ride at a leisurely pace behind a group of runners from Team Miles Ahead, a Whitefield-based running group. Soon after I started, I realized I would be doing more than just cycling!

First, I met the newspaper boys, separating different newspapers, and around them were people waiting to grab a copy of their daily dose of news. It made me happy to see that there are people who value newspapers when technology has made it extremely easy to get instant news.

Then I got an olfactory treat, twice. First was while cycling past a temple. The divine fragrance of sandalwood was otherworldly. The second was while crossing a Sagar (one of the many small, standing eateries). The aroma of the piping hot sambar made me realize how hungry I was. So much that I could visualize the cook pouring the sizzling tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves into the cooked lentils and veggies!

Every now and then I was brought out of my reverie with the sound of running shoes grinding asphalt and sand. There was a rhythm to the footsteps, which was quite pleasing to my ears. The constant crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch was once or twice overpowered by the fancy motorbikes whizzing and zooming past me.

And then there were the chirping birds that added sweet, high-pitched musical notes to the city air. It was nothing less than beautiful.

There was so much energy around with the many runners out so early for their morning run, some training for a personal best at the next marathon and some just for fitness. Most of them smile as they pass by. A simple gesture that reflects mutual respect and understanding can make anyone's day.

Every city has its own set of issues. But Rome wasn't built in a day. And neither can our problems be sorted in a day. A little patience and a little effort from each of us can highlight the beauty of Bangalore that we often ignore.