April 2019: We decided to relocate to Hyderabad and my search for a place near HITEC city began. As our ancestral house in the old city was too far away, I used my friends apartment at Aditya Heights as weekend hub and started looking near by. One day my friend took me to the terrace and showed a tall white building on botanical garden road. That was Aparna Heights but it did not register in my mind then.
I got a few leads from Lanco Hills to Serene County to Hill ridge springs and had a list of houses to visit on the weekend. As there was a break between my appointments, I decided to unwind at Botanical Gardens. It had a calming effect and I felt I should look for a place in the vicinity. I resumed house hunt and passed through the the botanical Garden road.
chotaa sa ghar hogaa badalon ki chhaon men
A tall white building towering the surroundings and literally touching the clouds caught my eye. I realized it was the same building my friend showed me from Aditya Heights. The construction style with semi-circular edge to the balconies, transported me to the buildings depicted in Vintage Bollywood movies. Images of apartments on Marine Drive flashed in my mind.
Sights of Axis bank and Heritage adjacent to the building brought me back to reality. I realized that I didn't miss the practical angle in this dream sequence. The thought that we needed to balance the needs of a 3 generation household with connections across the city influenced our decision.
Oct 2019: Move to Aparna hights
na baadlon ke chhaon mein, na chandni ke gaaon men
magar ye ghar ajeeb hai zameen ke kareeb hai
ye tera ghar, ye mera ghar, ye ghar bahut hasiin hai
It may not be the most up scale place nor the grandiose community where you need to drive to perform every small chore. Its a cozy place, small enough where you can connect with every neighbor and large enough to take advantage of economies of scale and afford the facilities that gated communities offer. The size and location give it a down to earth feeling and immediate connect with the outside.
The first year at Aparna was tough on us as we had to deal with the deaths in family followed by covid induced lockdown. All this meant that we could not experience the true glory of Aparna hights in the first year.
It was during the lockdown time that blogging thrived. Some of the earliest connections I made here were active bloggers, Kaushik Iyer and Raj Chellappan.
The first person who invited me to his place was Sanjay Gooty. We had lot of common points including spending our formative years in Old City and several years in US. No wonder that when we were recently rehearsing "aarambh hai prachand", Sanjay was the chosen one to record the session. Yes, in 5 years we not only experienced the vibrancy of the community but started embracing it.
One of my close friends suggested that we should choose opt for a gated community in Hyderabad and I feel we made the right decision. Aarohi's social skills have improved over the years and she spends very little time on the phone. She has friends in very block and more. Sushmita also has found a good social circle. We also interact with parents of Aarohi's friends. I discuss a variety of topics with Animesh while our daughters are at play.
Apart from enjoying the warmth of the community, we started loving the neighborhood. Botanical Gardens became a weekend destination and eventually a daily routine for me. The chirping of the birds made me explore the less travelled trails.
ye kaun hansta hain phuulon men chhup kar
bahaar bechain hai kis ki dhun par
kahiin gumgum, kahiin rumjhum jaise naache zamiin
suhana safar aur ye mausam hasiin
A long walk interspersed by birding added an element of intrigue. The "Call of the Coucal" was arguably the most enchanting. I travelled into the woods following its calls every time but it used to fly away before i could take a shot. One day the garden was less crowded due to overnight downpour and there it was perched on the treetop.
Sightings of birds ranging from the Rufous Treepie to the Oriental Magpie Robin made me yearn for more. The tranquility of garden in the early morning with chirping of the birds set the perfect mood for a hectic day.
Being an avid music lover meant that I scouted for concerts happening near by and came to know about Tatva arts. They organize concerts around the city and Botanical Garden happens to be one of the their regular venues. I had the pleasure of attending many concerts there. I exchange notes on concerts and other events happening in the city with Kaushik Iyer. Pandit Motiram Pandit Maniram Sangeet Samaroh being held over last few years at CCRT Madhapur is one such event where we have been regulars.
The vibrant community and thriving neighborhood is an essential ingredient for providing work life balance and a sense of calm to busy life.
Epilogue: 5 years down the line, the skyline has altered. Few tall white buildings have cropped up and the tallest of them is no longer Aparna Hights. However that has not diminished the pride of place it has in the neighborhood or the special spot it has in our hearts.
No comments:
Post a Comment