Hydrabad-ey Hottogol

Part II - Vidi

One day of sitting about doing nothing is about all I can take. Saturday morning dawns late – around 11am – since the previous night is spent in talking away; Alka smiling sleepily at us while she listens to us ramble on, head nodding in part concentration, part contentment and mostly tiredness.

Abhi also arrives to partake in breakfast and “city darshan” plans, doing his best to dissuade us from going anywhere. He is the epitome of the quintessential Bong - lazy, friendly, loves friends and food, and generally fun to hang out with. He is going to make S’s home his “adda” for the next couple of days. After a brunch of the most fab parathas, we head out.

Our choice of locale – a mall called Inorbit ( mall names never ever make sense; its like all the marketing is targeted in giving it a name that a) rolls easily off the tongue, and b) sounds hip to the “cool brigade”. The choice is simple, find a place which is A/C and scurry into it.

As the city is carved out of hills, the car takes us through rambling roads and undulating plains onto our destination. I revise my initial impressions of Hyd on this trip. This is truly the Technology Sector, tall gleaming buildings, all chrome and steel and glass. Big names of IT MNCs litter either side of the roadways, set among beautifully landscaped foliage. There is an immediate “wow, impressive” factor for this part of the city.

This of course is what you would find anywhere you went - any Tier 1 city is India today has exactly the same IT landscape, with wide clean roads and huge buildings. What sets Hyd apart truly, from anywhere else, is the location and the scenery. Looking down from the Mall, where we sit sipping our coffee and taking the mandatory pictures, the eyes travel across to a huge lake/reservoir called DurgamCheru (Ma Surga Lake). On the other side of it, far away, rise steep hills, where one can see houses, resorts, offices dotted about, amongst the rocks. That is of course reflected this side as well, with all offices’ recreational spaces opening out on the lakeside. There is this tranquil air about the whole place, a moment frozen in cool serenity. It’s a sight for sore eyes, and I believe that anyone having the luxury of seeing it every day would be a happy camper.

In the evening we go clubbling. What with Blr closing shop at ridiculously early hours, the people of the once famous “city with best nightlife” now have to go to other places to enjoy themselves without being thrown out at 11pm. IPL, the latest buzz to hit Indian cricket is on. This is Season 3 of a format people laughed at, when it was first thought of – I personally liken it to “blink and miss” cricket in 20 overs. However, the excitement runs high in tamden with our drinking, with bets being placed in favor of your own team.

Thankfully, and much to my crowing delight, I win!