Happening Highderabad

I was keen to note the buildings, my first journey to Hyderabad, kept an eye out of the window glass of my bus, though didnt get the side seat. It was my travel from Bangalore to Hyderabad, from the most cozy climate to the central deccan extremities, from the homely comforts to a completely unknown city. The first sights were the minarets and domb shaped buildings of typical mughal architecture, the bus crossed a bridge and entered the city limits, it was just few minutes past 7'o clock, roads were still not alive. My first ac bus travel, I have much heared about the Hyderabad heat, was wondering how it would be outside, I asked the guy sitting next to me where to get down to reach Panchagutta. Right from his sleepy mood he told some thing in broken English and mixed Urdu and Hindi I suppose, better part of which I didnt understand. I reached the driver and sought his help, he asked me to get down at one point, I did.

I found women busily cleaning and sweeping streets, very few vehicles on that wide road, a well maintained divider with grass and Ashoka trees, fancy flowers, few milk vans passed nearby, an autowala came near and asked, I told him the name of the hotel where i was supposed to reach, without any hesitation he told the approximate amount which I agreed. I get into that vehicle, of course much better than Bangalore autos, less sound and emission, we passed past a vast lake, the Hussain Sagar, which seprated the twin cities. Within a few minutes we reached Somajiguda. Driver, a white capped muslim in his mid fifties, asked some pan makers where the exact location is and came back soon. I nodded my head with gratitude when he helped to take my luggage out. I stood infront of a huge hotel, Hotel IK London Residency. A security guard came running, greeted and lead me inside. He was wearing a typical turbain, very similar to those used by Coffee house waiters in Kerala.
Within few minutes I got my room, I had a bath and got ready to office. Only thing that I know was it was Maniconda, the name of the place where I needed to go. At Bangalore Praveen had given me a vague idea which side of the city is Manikonda is. A sweet lady at the hotel travel desk told Manikonda is 20 kms from there and will take about half an hour. There were no direct buses from that place, will have to go to Jubilee Hills and get go. I thought better go by auto, and asked an auto driver, he was amazed, as if I asked him to do something wrong, it was that far. But when I insisited he agreed to go by meter. We crossed different roads, all six lined, junctions, and tall buildings, this city has a blend of ancient and modern structures, vehicles were freely moving, never felt any congestions any where as in Bangalore, reached Maniconda by 10:30.

Wipro campus was a small one, compared to Bangalore, but a major part of it yet to be completed, construction work going on behind, I went inside the reception and called Sagar. Sagar and Parvathy, two my batch mated they had already reached here two days before. He told they were in B8, here tower names are told in the reverse order. I reached there, met Anamika, the resource manager of TIS, my division, she greeted with a pleasent smile. Gave me a desk and system, called Chandra, my PM, and told I have reported. I talked to Chandra over phone for quite some time.

We had lunch at Sodexho, was horrible, no variety at all, and everything had an Andhra touch, which we malus could never compromise. By evening 6'o clk i returned to my room. The next few days my only job was to go there till Wipro, checking and rechecking all the mails, to read the numerous forwards with utmost care, surfing magazines in the library, and coming back. My stay at hotel was an experience. My room was on the second floor. The company package included breakfast and laundry service. The first few days I was the only person in the restaurant who ate without using knife and cork. I cant stop my laughter when I saw Indian born people all around me tried to hide their difficulty in eating vada and idli with spoons. The waiters were very formal the first few days, will open the doors when I arrive, wish good morning, serve with minute care. Later they might have realised this guy need not be given that respect, cool, afterwards they became friendly and very close.

Somajiguda is the heart of the city, just like Majestic in Bangalore. All big shopping malls nearby, all kinds of business establishments, hospitals, and very busy and crowded streets. Road side vendors braved the unkindest summer heat to make a living from mangoes, coconuts, and various other seasonal fruits sale. Evening chat shops were few, which made me a bit disappointed. There was a hotel named 'Red Rose' nearby, where affordable food was served, the area was always crowded as it served pans, juices, snacks, and other eatables from its different outlets. I bought an iron box from an electrical shop near to it. Few hours of my familiarity with Hyderabad taught me the fact, people understood English language well, and they used it as an immediate alternative for Hindi. Shop keepers most of them muslims,were very friendly and ready to help. Whether it is hotel cashier or in an STD booth people smiled back with ease and pleasure, here nobody is that busy or engaged as in Bangalore, had time for a talk with any stranger, it seemed.

I was asked to move to Microsoft for my project. It was near to Wipro, Maniconda. The next week I reported there. It was an afternoon that I reached. There were no much formalities at the gates and reception. I stepped inside that campus admiring the beauty of the construction, Microsoft, worlds largest and wealthiest software company, spreads across 2 huge buildings blocks. My manager, Chandra was waiting there at the reception. He lead me inside, introduced to his team, warm welcome everywhere. I was thrilled. We then went to the cafeteria and had lunch. Comparing to wipro food here it was much better. But Microsoft lacked something, which Wipro had. I never felt like inside a workplace, I felt as if I were in a shopping centre instead, people busily walking, talking, eating and doing work, casually dressed, fancy cubicles and walkways, smell of high density room freshner in the air, the MS the campus doesn't have a soul, a worth, a feel of oneness, or a bond that binds the employer and employee together, it was business everwhere and all were the links of a huge business net, nothing more or nothing less. People from other companies who work here are called vendors, there itself a feeling of a secondary citizen, but in Hyderabad campus its difficult to spot a regular employee. All are either from Infosys, Wipro or TCS, poor vendors, who are asked to bear the secondary tag on their neck which read in bold letters, MICROSOFT.

The very first weekend I met Anubel and Ditin here at Hyderabad Central. They work with Satyam and Kanbay respectively, my class mates at Kothamangalam. One year since we met, not much changes, there were still the same, Ditin more improved in his 'chalus' and Bel the same old 'mandip'. There was Saraswathy also, my batch mate with them. We had food from a hotel nearby.

After ten days of stay at hotel I moved to Ditin's place. It was a place called Tolichowki, much near to Maniconda, he and his seven friends all in Kanbay stayed in a rented house, 4 bedrooms and a large hall; next to their house also so many people from Kanbay, it was like a Kanbay society. Sagar moved to Bindo's house. Bindo stayed with a couple of malayalees who work for Accenture and Infy.

One day me and Ditin went to 'Paradise' hotel. Paradise is the real paradise of biriyani lovers. One single biriyani costs Rs.90, but it was worth that, no single person with a normal capacity can finish it of his own. The way it was cooked, kept,and served made all the difference. Paradise was a hotel which could trace back its history from the British period.

I didnt get much chances to visit other parts of Hyderabad. Nobody will be willing to go out in the sun. Temperature is too high now a days. With the humidity effect and heat waves, life is torrentous in the day time, but evenings are pleasant. The real wonders of this ancient city are yet to be explored, waiting for the monsoon and winter.....