After staying in Bengaluru for the past four years, I have finally found my favourite place in the city. Whenever I am here, I feel at peace, I feel joyful. I do not have to travel much to get here, as this place I love, is my own home (in the city). The first time I came to see the apartment, I fell in love with the pretty balconies, the big airy hall, the glass doors and the artistic arches on them. I decided then and there itself, that this is the place that is going to be home for some years to come.
Finally the day arrived, when I moved into the house. And once I started to live in it, I found even more reasons to like it. One of them certainly was the big balcony attached to my room, which easily became my most favourite part of the house. Now, when I think about why I like it so much, I realise, it’s not because of the size of the balcony, but because of the view. The balcony overlooks a big, open view of very beautiful trees. My apartment building stands adjacent to a government owned township and thanks to that, these lovely trees are still alive.
One might think that, what is the huge deal about having trees around one’s house. But nowadays it’s a rare sight in my city (those of you who stay here know it already). Forget having trees around houses, trees are now, very hard to find in the city, (especially in the newly developed areas) quite ironically for a city is called the garden city. The huge hall and balconies of my house would have been much less dreamy, if the view of the house was let’s say, blocked by some huge dull looking grey building. It is certainly the company of nature that brings life to a home and makes it beautiful.
And so, thanks to these trees, my mornings are very calm, with a view of abundant green for my eyes, full of fresh air, chirping birds and of course the pleasant Bengaluru weather. The view consists of palm, sal, eucalyptus, mango, peepal, jackfruit trees swaying mildly with the cool breeze. I feel so peaceful, when I listen to the sound of rustling leaves as the wind passes through them. When I wake up to this view, I often feel as if I have arrived at a hilly resort, a beautiful nature retreat, far way from the chaos of the city.
Somedays, when I open my eyes in the morning, the first thing I hear, is the cooing of the koel or the twittering of small birds. Once I get up, I often step out in the balcony and observe the surroundings quietly. I would see the eagles gliding gracefully in the sky, solitary crows flying down towards their nests or tiny kingfishers camouflaging with the greens. Occasionally I would hear a bell ring, which would draw my attention towards the small temple in the township, where I would see people entering to say their morning prayers. As my eyes return from the temple corner, they would be greeted may be by a pair of parrots swinging quietly on the palm leaves, or squirrels nervously nibbling on nuts and then scurrying across the tree branches, pigeons huddling up and battling for crumbs, small pups taking walks with their caretakers and then suddenly taking detours out of curiosity.
For some time at least, I become a part of this view, as I see life going on about, in the shade of these trees. I feel at peace and completely refreshed when I winess these tall trees standing reassuringly in front of me. They indeed shield my mornings from the realities of the city.
And so, till the time I am home, I stay totally oblivious to the mega traffic of Bengaluru grumbling down the main road, as the sound barely reaches my side of the building. It is like I am living on the edge of two worlds, where on one side, it is green, breezy and peaceful, and on the other, there is noise, pollution and chaos. Once I leave home for work, I am greeted by the sound of blaring horns blown by impatient drivers, the rumbling engines, the dizzying smell of diesel, the unruly bikers driving on the sidewalks, zigzagging between the million people walking hastily towards work. All the morning calm experienced by me, almost vanishes amidst the big city madness. As I wait on the sidewalk, I am quickly rescued by my ride and taken to work, where once again I am shielded from the traffic and pollution, but this time by the controlled temperature of the air conditioner.
In this big city where all the trees have been mercilessly chopped to create huge corporate parks, malls, unplanned residential buildings, I am really grateful that I can still enjoy a small glimpse of how this place would have been many years ago before it was urbanized. I am thankful for the small part of my day which I spend close to nature, where my mind and soul feel blissful nestled in the lap of the supreme mother.
Beautiful Eyess 