Bangalore's roads with their disemboweled outlook(with metro work bringing out the nether of the roadways, reducing pliability to a narrow strip, with dangling encroachments, which threaten to spreadeagle out of nowhere when you are passing by ) and choc-a-bloc traffic, round-the-clock, are the pathways to a pilgrim's progress.
Either you lose your mind or attain the Zen-like state, traveling on these roads which can turn into hellholes during peak hours.
Imagine getting caught in a time-warp where the stilled motion traps the din of blaring horns and concrete motors. And when the traffic gets going, you are taken by surprise by the crater-sized manholes or the drop-off to low-level planes(The 'roadwork in progress' sign is in a perpetually bent out of shape condition to get noticed). And let us not ignore the uncalled for adrenaline rush while humping and bumping with "peer" vehicles, the 'juggernauts' in the way of concrete mixers and water tankers, the jaywalking pedestrians who wrongly perceive themselves to be the 2-D life models of their own beings! (Beyond the size-0 or slim n sleek notion vehiclers have of their own vehicles, what encroaches upon the roadways is the Indian sense of driving treating these as FORMULA - 1 racing tracks).
The city offers free rides, for off-roading adventures, where you ensure to fasten your seat-belt, with other life-saving essentials- there is not more than mile-long road at a stretch, you see!
The treacherous trails turn even more slippery during the monsoons, sporadic summer rains or cloud bursts(the city's weather conditions could be compared to the mood-swings of a hamstrung woman in her PMS - totally unpredictable!) The roads turn into waterways - but alas, it is not the Venetian gondolas or Alleppey houseboats which ply on these waters. The made for the 'tough-concrete-terrain' vehicles lie stranded, choking the already clogged road - But the bright side is, it is during the rains that Benagluru's concrete jungle beholds the sight of the aquatic life that manage to eke out a living.
in the city's fresh water bodies.
Where on the one hand, hassled up commuters, in knee-deep water want to lug their way out to reach their destination, there are others who stop by and join hands with the animal rescue team, while sneaking in a pic or video of the seasonal aquatic zoo that comes into existence, with the rains! Well, now you know why the not-so-recent bengaluru floods' videos were going viral on #socialmedia(with ludicrous memes trying to dig up a lighter vein)
Come rain or sunshine or the thick mists that predominantly keep the city under veils, the roads of Bengaluru never make it to the next phase of 'concrete' development. It is like a visit to the dentist - there is never a permanent root canal treatment - once dug up, the exposed nerves will always throw you off-gear, either into unknown trails or complicated roundabout routes (with 'double-assurance' from Google Maps).
The travails of commuting in Bengaluru city is like making your way through the crisscross lines of destiny. It would be Providence-sent, if you escape the journey unscathed!
What of the VIPs and political bigwigs who trip to the 'Silicon Valley' of India - I wish our PM during his visit to Bangalore(in the recent past), had had a glimpse of the roads - the outer-ring-road, than getting the swift n smooth rides, in a city notorious for its traffic woes- How else would he be able to understand the plight of the common man or the aam aadmi?
Or, the next best alternative would be to keep the skywalks on this choc-a-bloc roads reserved for the #internationalyogaday celebration for the year 2023. Files of yoga enthusiasts lined up on these skywalks doing asanas and meditating(pranayama - which is so required for B'lore's smoggy weather conditions) would stand true-blue testimonial - that you can find breathe in your space, despite the chaos that surrounds you. It will be killing two birds with a single stone!
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