The Serenity of a Bengaluru Friday – Day 2 and A rendezvous deferred

It was a rather long Thursday.

I started the day at 6am with the cab to Pune airport. Now, a 7:30 a.m.-ish flight isn’t exactly brutal, so I did manage a decent night’s sleep.. However, it was washed off by the 16 hrs work day on thursday leaving me tired enough to crash onto my bed at Ramanashree hotel on Richmond Circle (15mins drive from Koramangala).

But, I woke up early and fresh. My first of the 2 meetings at a nearby hotel – Balaji International over breakfast, albeit a traditional South Indian one. One that I am most comfortable out of home.

The hotel stay was okay. We even had our breakfast outside. But what caught my eye was the little 2 feet deep fish pond at the reception. Most of them being the “Goldfish”, It took away any tiredness of the last day.

I have to admit, Bengaluru mornings are dreamy. Much like you will experience at a hill resort with the clouds and murky sky. Downtown Bengaluru (where we were put up) felt almost the same. How could one not feel good here? How could one not work with a little more happiness? For a moment, Bengaluru made a long and healthy life feel entirely possible. Bengaluru does that to you. I was already feeling it.

On my way to work, I could feel the calmness in chaos that Bengaluru offers. I am a relatively well travelled guy. From Metro cities to towns in Trains, Buses, Cabs or by my own car. I can tell you, Bengaluru-the city operates in an unique pattern. A pattern that feels strangely familiar, comforting, and yet entirely peerless.. A rendezvous deferred for me every time with a singular aim to soak in the vibe.

It was lunch time when work was done, we checked in to the nearby Phoenix Mall of Asia. A quick coffee at Blue Tokai (by now, I am a fan) followed by an ice cream treat at the gourmet cafe. The ice cream was surprisingly clean and creamy, with none of the artificial aftertaste that often lingers with frozen desserts.

A 45 mins drive to Bengaluru airport with 3 hrs to catch the flight left us with ample time to check into the lounge. “080” was quite a big place. Different seating, a big menu (did not appear special though).

As the flight took off, I found myself reminiscing about Bengaluru in pairs of contradictions: rush without chaos, busy yet dreamy, work without exhaustion. Somewhere between a Blue Tokai coffee, a fish pond at a hotel reception, and rain-soaked roads in Koramangala, the city had left its mark on me.

Bengaluru wasn’t just a place I travelled to for work. It became a city I looked forward to returning to. A rendezvous deferred, once again..

Half awake half dreamy, a calm touch down at home in Pune woke me up. I was home in time for dinner (did not have much at “080 lounge”). This time no confectionaries though I took home a couple of memorabilia I was fortunate to find at the airport.

Hey, If you liked reading the blog, do like and share with your friends and family. Also, suggest you can go through some more of the same genre.

The Calm in the Chaos – That’s Bengaluru on Day 1

Traveling through Chennai: Between Airports, Highways and Filter Coffee

The Goa road trip