'People have helped us grow'

It was truly a homecoming for Ankita Paul when she came back to Bengaluru in 2011. The city was not new to her as she had done her graduation here.

Hailing from Silchar, Assam, the city was always a pleasant experience for her and continues to be.

She now works as a senior risk analyst with Societe Generale. Her husband Biswadeep Gupta works as a senior treasury analyst with AIG here.

“Apart from better job opportunities here, the people here have helped us grow in all spheres of life. I was an introvert when I came here but I can strike a conversation with anyone now,” he says.

The duo have family and friends in the city and feel safe here. “Also, the city has so much to offer. We’ve never felt out of place here. My initial days here were quite memorable,” he says.

“The moment I landed at the Bangalore City station and got out, I remember the autowallahs rushing to me and I flinched. A very polite autorickshaw driver asked me where I wanted to go and I told him that I didn’t want to hire an auto. He instantly helped me with the bus number and the route. I couldn’t have been more impressed,” he says.

The friendly nature of the people is an incredible aspect of the city, according to Biswadeep. “I had lost my phone at a restaurant once and was looking for it everywhere. I called my number and to my delight, the person at the other end asked me to come to Shivajinagar where he was and collect it. When I reached there, he even offered me a cup of tea and we chatted too,” he says.  

Each day in the city has been a learning experience for the couple.

“From learning a new word in different languages to knowing more about other cultures, it has been an educative ride,” says Ankita.

“Bengalureans are full of energy and have a lot of stories to narrate. There are plenty of talented people here,” she says. From international food festivals to musical concerts, the duo take part in as many activities as they can to break the routine. “The ‘Sunday Soul Sante’ and similar events give people opportunities to unwind,” she adds. “We love the plethora of options the city provides. Be it parks or pubs, one has spaces to relax,” he says.  When it come to eating out, the duo like to chill at ‘Toit’ and ‘Vapour Pub & Brewery’ at Indiranagar during the weekends.

Passionate about food, the couple love to experiment with varied cuisines. “We thought people down South had only ‘idli and sambhar’. It was such a surprise to find other items too,” says Biswadeep. “We’ve tried all kinds of food, but we love visiting ‘Sukh Sagar’, ‘Hole In The Wall’ and ‘Thalassery Restaurant’ often,” adds Ankita. Many say that Bengaluru has a certain magic to pull people back to it even after they migrate away from it. Anita agrees to it. “Bengaluru is home for us and there are no second thoughts about that,” she says.