REACHING ACROSS

If anyone in Bangalore gives you directions in terms of distance i.e kms, then either they are new or possess a sadist streak in them (as they don’t want you to reach your destination).

In Bangalore, distances in kms have lost their value and time taken has become a more valid tool for measurement. In fact travel directions acquire theatrical dimensions (timings).Between 8-10, you would reach in 2 hrs (anything below 2 hrs is not considered TRAVEL in Bangalore) 12-2(1 hr...and this is fast diminishing, because the myth of traffic easing out in the afternoons is now a thing of the past, coz the only ones who nap in the afternoons are the friendly cowboy policeman and the traffic lights themselves)and between 6-8 ,you should believe in an old Chinese saying…"It's not the finishing point, but the act of travelling which is important" (there’s no one who can predict when you will reach during this time).

The diminishing gardens are sad reminders of the city which was once known as a garden city, and is now as infamous for its traffic snarls as it is for its’ humongous IT giants. Travelling still petrifies me, thanks to the maze of one ways that pop up weekly at one place and miraculously disappear the other. At such times the humble auto comes to your rescue and it’s a relief to be driven, than drive. It’s easy to remain fit if you are a regular traveler, as the emission from the vehicles serves as an appetite suppressant, chocking you at every red light and leaving you with a queasy feeling at the end of it.

And under such conditions, you learn to forgive (but not forget) your friends, who you know are reeling under the pressure and the grind, and when you meet…. ice cream before dinner and movies just become an excuse, rather a means to reach across. In Bangalore, if you can find the time to catch your friends and catch up with them, its nothing short of a miracle.