Bhopal - the city of lakes

A cool and cloudy morning greeted us, the day we landed in Bhopal. My first look outside the window and it was Nishatpura, and BHopal in brackets which caught my attention and like a sailor seeing the first sight of land after wandering into the sea of thoughts, thoughts about the course life was taking, about near and dear ones, friends, i exclaimed, " Is Bhopal district so vast, that for the next 4 hours or so, we are going to move within the boundaries?" It was 7 AM and Malwa express from New Delhi was slowly crouching towards its destination. Unknown to both of us, the train and me, I thought the train would reach Bhopal at 11AM and the train whistling romantically as if to signal, here my boy, this is your land of deeds, for the next 4 years, you will not only live but enjoy the most memorable 4 years of your life. May GOD bless you. The lady beside us gave a curious look and told, it will stop after another 2 minutes and welcome to Bhopal - the city of lakes. With a sudden sense of urgency myself and papa started packing our small yet essential beddings and i started looking out for Mamaji, who would be coming to pick us from the railway station, and there he was, with his head high and hands open to welcome the visitors, from a distant land, yet so much his own relatives. Out of station, we took bus no. 9 to Jawahar Chowk and i had a view of the city, sometimes which seemed to me like Meerut, with the Muslim areas, but then it unfolded as if two lovers ready to hug each other. Right after the Police headquarters, the slope started, we climbing on it, with small, yet significant turns, i could see the Shymla hills on one side and the other side had the Birla temple and Vidhan Sabha one, a light drizzle was like the icing on the cake. Once into the house and after the usual greetings and breakfast, we moved to the Polytechnic hostel where the counselling was taking place, mine was scheduled the next day and i was quite confident i would select LNCT with electronics and communications branch. The statistics available there was hinting that i may get my desired college with the desired branch and i was simply grateful that i came to Bhopal and would be getting into a good college and branch, but destiny had other plans and for good, for sure. That evening passes peacefully and the next day i was there at the session. Without much difficulty and the advice of my father i took a seat in Electronics and Communications engineering at University Institute of Technology, Barkatullah University, Bhopal. I was so happy. That day, 27th August, 2001, i had my first glimpse of the university, with bhaiyya, glimpses of my alma matter, a place where my heart and mind would reside, the mind trained for the world outside and the heart caressed. Surendra Place (SP), Habibganj naka, M P Nagar, Sargam talkies, Chota talab, hill top Birla temple and Vidhan Sabha, all seemed to be welcoming me, bring me in their fold, lovingly.

This was my introduction to Bhopal, the place i love.