Romancing with the Cities

The luxury bus seared through the highways in the pitch-dark night of wintry October. It was cold. I fell asleep against the windowpane and woke up to gaze at the starlit sky. The only music I heard was the humming engine. Far away a well-lit hill stood sillouetted against the vast expanse of darkness. As we came closer and closer to the hill we saw the fort of Jaisalmer. My heart leaped with excitement and I muttered ‘Sonar Kella’(the golden fort).

But my tryst with Jaisalmer had only been for a day. The opportunity came again but the meet-up with the city was in the stark daylight with the sun gazing with all vengeance upon the earth. But opportunities for romance surface again and again as the desire remains and seeks every opportunity to spring forth. The third opportunity came with the corporate citizens but with age catching up I din want to be smuggled into an overpacked Innova.

Being a metropolitan product, Bangalore held more attraction for me than Hyderabad. But it's difficult to let go old love, Hyderabad, rocky city, a rugged manly city in other words. Men and women from north, south, east and west flocked at Hyderabad Central University. Here men became bravadoes, while the scorching sun scrubbed the sheen off the women in Hyderabad but in the 2300 acre of green and concrete all passion were let loose. All caste, creed, religion, colour, and language clashed and clung.

Lifestyle changed with a jolt and all bottled passion poured out with the slightest pull. Vegetarians became non-vegetarians and vice versa, and Burqa wearers left their burqa aside and Gita readers read Koran, sambar tasted better than dal, older women paired with younger men. Universities are always like this – a site for freedom.

The trees swayed, the wind blew faster than usual, my dupatta never blew becoz I never wore one, but my hair made an impact - long, dark and wavy like the mallus. Jeeves loved my hair, my untamed hair, blowing with the wind when untied, but curling up when tied into a tight plait.

Over the years romance evolved, evaded and evaporated and I moved from Hyderabad to Bangalore, further away from home as a single woman. Valentine’s day is knocking and life has moved on without a Valentine.

Bangalore is more like the metrosexual - concrete structures and greenery resided in harmony. But I can’t feel the pulse of the city and said Adieu to this sweetheart and packed northwards ho!