A feeling called home

Ruchi Dilbagi loves talking about Bengaluru. Hailing from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, she and her husband are no strangers to travelling and living in different places including Mumbai and Dubai but no city has charmed them like ‘Namma Bengaluru’. “There are so many things that I like about this place,” says Ruchi. “The weather is an obvious choice. So are the many food joints. Also, the people here are very friendly and I have had a lot of experiences which revealed the understanding nature of Bengalureans and South Indians in general.”

Elaborating, she says, “I have had to travel all over India in connection with my job. In some cities up north, there have been times when I have fixed an appointment for a particular time and the customer didn’t bother to be on time. They simply didn’t think it was necessary. If it is here, the person will make it a point to be punctual and expect you to do the same. This commitment and adherence to ethics gives the work culture here a very different quality.”

Her husband, Sameer, too loves it here but there are some things that he really misses about Mumbai, where they spent quite a few years. “This may sound cliched but I hate the traffic here. It is a nightmare to navigate these roads. It takes me almost two hours to reach my workplace in Jakkasandra from our home in Hebbal. In Mumbai, the local trains made commuting so easy.”

For Ruchi, the gastronomic issues are a bit more pressing. “I miss the food back home. I am a North Indian Punjabi and ‘chaats’ and other such snacks were a staple for me back home in MP. I don’t like the ‘chaats’ available here. People may hate me for saying this but no one really knows how to make the authentic stuff down here. Otherwise, the food joints are really very good,” she says.

Weekends are usually spent at home, doing yoga or attending events like ‘cycle day’ and others. “We hate going to malls,” says Ruchi emphatically. “Maybe it is a fallout of having lived in Dubai for quite sometime but we actually had our fill of malls there.” Sameer adds, “And we are not big movie enthusiasts too. I would rather stay at home and sleep than go to a theatre.” Ruchi retorts with a laugh, “He usually does that but I sometimes go out with my friends. I have quite a few here. I also like going to the Iskcon Temple and I am a regular at the flower show in Lalbagh. Parking is a headache so my husband is not very enthusiastic about going there but I insist on seeing the show because I love flowers.”

Travel is a common interest  and being trekking enthusiasts, the family has toured all the major attractions in and around Bengaluru.

“We have been to Coorg and Mysuru, of course. Other than that, Nandi Hills is a favourite destination. We have also done a jungle safari in Agumbe and have been to the Shivanasamudra Falls in Mandya. We absolutely loved all these places.”

“Our son, Tanay, who is presently pursuing his higher education abroad, loved going to the Bannerghatta National Park and Wonderla,” says Sameer. “He too considers this city as his home.”

In fact, this feeling is present in everyone. “I was offered a transfer back to Mumbai by my company but I couldn’t even imagine going back. This is where we belong,” adds Ruchi.