The changing faces of Bengaluru

Coaxed by my friend, I got behind the wheel after a long time. But no sooner had we left the driveway, he started telling, rather yelling at me how to drive. So I parked the car at the next opportunity and asked him to drive instead. I didn't feel bad,it was his car after all, and we were in Bengaluru not London. I remember being here in the 90's when it was still a small city. Now overpopulated and over polluted, the less said the better. As luck would have it,we travelled a couple of kilometres and thud! We were hit from the back and my friend's face turned the colour of Bhagwan SriKrishna's skin as he got out of the car. Since it was a taxi driver at the other end, my friend just cut loose with the choicest expletives demanding the RC book, licence, owner's address, blah blah.Just like an Indian cop ! The poor driver almost started to cry and even invited my friend to hit him but not to speak with the owner." I  will lose my job" , he said.

Later in the car,

Why did you make such a big fuss? Nothing happened to your car.

"You can't just leave these buggers like that. Bastards!"

I'm sure glad I wasn't driving otherwise you would have dragged me in the mud as well!

"Dude, this is a hard city. You can't afford to be soft on anybody"

After a 3 hour drive through the city, of which i steered half, we were both spent. 

The last time I was here, some months ago, I used to travel almost 3 hours everyday that too by bus and never felt a thing. The object of my travel then was a woman and hence maybe none of the pollution got to me! Like being in an immune adrenaline shield ! The grime , the overcrowded buses, the long periods of waiting at traffic lights never seemed to matter. Just the thought of her would send a wave of energy through me. 

Ah that's something good about Bengaluru even now, the lovely lasses ! Nevertheless I won't be complaining when I'm headed to God's own country populated with devil's own people in a couple of day's time...