Brewing the cuppa love

Timir Desai and Isha from Vadodara came to Bengaluru two years back. Now the city is a second home to them. Timir works as an Instock manager with Cloutail, Amazon while Isha is a research graduate. The duo had a brief stint in Ahmedabad and Mumbai before they made the city their home. They are now accustomed to the local flavours of Bengaluru and feel one with the people here.

Since the couple have a lot of friends here, settling down was a cakewalk. “It’s not just the weather that we fell in love with. The essence of the city, the people here and the way they function impressed us,” says Timir. Unlike many others, Timir feels, “It’s a relief to see that skyscrapers haven’t taken over the city yet.” Hailing from the city which houses the Lakshmi Vilas Palace, the duo love the historical buildings here apart from the trees that line up some of these places. “I don’t think that there is another city which has such a beautiful landscape,” he says, to which Isha adds, “Every lane has at least a few trees which is a big relief.” “The city is always vibrant which is amazing. There is a lot of energy here. The youthful spirit is infectious. Be it people on the streets or the ones you interact with everyday, they are all enthusiastic,” says Timir.

“We haven’t had any bad experiences in the city. It has accepted us with open arms,” Isha pitches in. While they point out the bad conditions of the roads, that has not stopped them from falling in love with the place. “It is nice to enjoy the nightlife here and soak in the fun and frolic that happens during the weekends,” notes Isha. Another factor that differentiates Bengaluru from other cities, according to Isha, is how refined the festivals are celebrated here. “‘Ganesha Chaturthi’, ‘Holi’ and other festivals are not celebrated with as much craziness as is done back home,” she adds.

When it comes to their food habits, Timir and Isha might be used to ‘dal’, ‘sabjis’ and ‘Gujarati thali’, but they have embraced the traditional South Indian cuisine. “Apart from ‘dosa’ and ‘chow chow bath’, I love my regular filter coffee too. The city has a lot of cuisines to offer and we love the variety. For instance, MTR has retained its authentic flavours,” says Isha.

When Timir and Isha have some time to spare, they hang out at ‘Lakeview Milkbar’, ‘Ministry of Pizza’, ‘Onesta’, ‘Brewsky’, ‘B-hive’ and ‘Corner House Ice Creams’. “Apart from that, we find the markets and the malls as the perfect answer to all our shopping needs. I like to take a stroll on Commercial Street and perhaps shop for some antique jewellery there. Since all the big brands have stores there, it makes my shopping easy,” says Isha. “However, what has impressed me the most is the flower market in KR Market area. The place is so mesmerising and colourful. It has its own character,” she adds.