Embracing the pleasant life

Rajiv Kakati from Guwahati moved to Bengaluru to pursue an engineering course in 2007 while a job opportunity was what brought his wife Pooja Dihingia from Namrup, Assam, here. They met through a common friend in the city and got married three years ago. Presently, the couple resides in HSR Layout and runs their own startup called ‘YellowChalk Design Studios’. Both of them agree that they are having a great time living here and are embracing the culture and way of life in the city. 

“We have made some great friends in the past three years and all of them are from different regions of the country. We have a lot of fun together and life without them would definitely be very different, especially in a cosmopolitan city like this,” says Rajiv. Being away from one’s hometown, it’s common to miss certain things from back home and the same is true of the couple. From the abundant greenery and the openness of the people to the simple way of life and the food, they miss a lot of things about their state. However, their relaxed and accommodating nature has helped them mix with the crowd and adjust to the environment here.

“Bengaluru is a fast-paced city. However, back home, it takes time for even a certain technology to develop. People here are more advanced when it comes to coping with a new technology. They are more open-minded than those we usually encounter in Assam. However, at the end of the day, Assam is our homeland and it will always be the best place for us to live in,” says Rajiv. The couple are foodies and love exploring different cafes and restaurants in the city. 

Rajiv also has a passion for cooking and usually takes care of the menu at home during the weekends when they call their friends over for lunch or dinner. “I love eating pork and usually go to ‘The Naga Kitchen’ in Koramangala and ‘Shangrila-La Hotel’ to relish their pork preparations. However, I indulge in cooking on most of the weekends. On these days, there is no vegetarian food on the menu as we both love meat and I cook a lot of fish, mutton and chicken. Since we don’t have any relatives here, having our friends over is always a pleasure,” says Rajiv.

“Since we both love food, we usually hang out at one of the eateries in Koramangala or at ‘Toit’ in Indiranagar. ‘Big Brewsky’ on Sarjapur Road and ‘Cafe Pascucci’ are our favourites,” says Pooja. The couple also likes travelling and going for long drives. In fact, there are times when a random conversation late at night ends up in a long drive. They mostly hit Kolar Main Road or sometimes Nice Road and their pet dog ‘Momo’ also accompanies them. 

“We have been to Puducherry and Goa by road and have thoroughly enjoyed the drive,” says Pooja. Pooja says that staying away from home has been an experience in itself. She adds though that the people here are very accepting and have welcomed them from the beginning. “People here are really helpful and we are blessed to be amidst people like these. We love the South Indian cuisine too. Both of us enjoy eating ‘masala dosa’ but there is that part of us which will always be biased towards Assam and its food,” laughs Pooja.