...and then like its meant to happen in the life of an army wife, we left Pune. A whole 1 and half years turned into a memory. Fond memory.
As we boarded the plane on 4th June for Lucknow with our little dog: I could only think of 1 thing: what Kanpur would be like. As a non UP-ite, I had my reservations about a state that has often been in the news for all the wrong reasons. I wondered if I'd be able to work there, to travel through the city streets alone...to live the life I was used to living.
An uneventful 1.5 hour flight journey and 2 hour road journey later we entered the Kanpur cantonment. A cantonment that stretched into the main city limits. The locals spoke a different kind of hindi and the water had a different kind of taste.
I entered the guest room and the hot walls of the room enveloped me into a warm hug. Kanpur is known for its extreme weather conditions, it's either too hot or too cold. Since it was the month of June, a hot summer was the only weather that could invite us to the city.
Once we had settled into our temporary room, I tried finding out where the basic shops and supply stores were. I was told of a good enough mall known as the Z-square mall which is apparently Kanpur's newest and finest mall. A 3+ storey mall with all the latest brands, technology and multipex system in-built. At least there was a mall, so things weren't as bad.
Kanpur, as I see it now - a meagre 3 weeks later is just a small city. There is nothing fascinating about it. Nothing exciting. The streets are crowded. The people aren't friendly. The crime rate is high.
But, for us army people and wives - it isn't all that bad. We've been to smaller towns where not even our most basic needs were met, so a city like this is a sort of blessing.
There are 2 things one can do from here: Choose to love the place and thrive while here or hate it and wait till the tenure here ends.
Either way, one still has to live there for at least a while. So why hate what you have to do.
