'This place feels a lot like home'

It’s work that brought the Maharashtrian couple — Ashutosh Atude and Sandhya — to Bengaluru five years ago. Time seems to have just flown by and Ashutosh confesses that he just can’t believe that he has been here for such a long time. “It’s almost like home and now I can’t imagine shifting to another city. This is my home and we have found people of our liking. We also like the food and the weather. We have no complaints.

Bengaluru is the best City to live in,” says Ashutosh. Settling down in the City wasn’t an easy process and Ashutosh recalls that the first few days were hell. “The first two days were bad and I remember the efforts that I had to put to get back to my hotel. The autorickshaws were a real burden on the wallet but people around me helped me find my way and settle in,” he says. He thinks the people in the City never think twice before lending a helping hand. “Bengaluru has some warm-hearted people. The weather is beautiful and honestly, one doesn’t feel the pangs of being in a City that’s growing multifolds,” he says.

The City is certainly developing at a fast pace but Ashutosh doesn’t believe in joining the list of people who complain about the trees being razed to make way for tall buildings.

“Compared to a lot of other cities, Bengaluru has managed to retain the green patch,” he observes. He also feels that it will take a while before people begin to adhere to road discipline. “The people in the City have travelled across the globe and the officials too seem to be working towards better road management. With the passage of time, I’m sure we will be blessed with safer roads and see some better road management,” he states. He strongly believes that Bengaluru is a place of opportunities and challenges one both personally and professionally. 
 
And who doesn’t like some good food? Ashutosh and Sandhya along with their son Arash have found their favourite eating joints. “The simple ‘idli vada’ is probably our most favourite dish. Our son loves Barbeque Nation and my wife loves the simple food at both Adigas and MTR,” he says. They don’t hesitate to try out new joints. “We also make sure that we exercise regularly just to stay fit,” he adds. After a hectic week at work, Ashutosh prefers spending his weekends at home. “We stay home unless we decide to travel to the many beautiful places around Bengaluru,” he states. 

Ashutosh has found his circle of friends in the City. “This is a cosmopolitan City and we are fortunate have a lot of friends both at work and otherwise. There are a lot of Maharashtrians living in the City, so it doesn’t really feel like we are living away from home. This place feels a lot like home,” he sums up.