What a gorgeous memoir of a young woman growing up in Bengaluru. Wow, that shot of the road with giant trees completely canopying the scene was breath-taking! Oh my! It looks like there is a direct beam of light shooting down from the heavens? So beautiful.

I guess we both grew up in a retirement town, Shruthi. Paradise for “pensioners.” Mine was Prescott, Arizona. I have seen it develop, but not nearly to the same extent. Your city is a completely different story from mine but I liked being able to find one thread in common between the two!

I really resonated with the sadness about seeing 6 malls develop, how unnecessary that amount is. I understand that populations have to grow and move and I am very grateful for technology. However, maybe if people valued nature more and vapid consumerism less, we could forget about shopping malls and preserve trees’ beauty and bounty. At this point in my life (a budding environmentalist), a hike is way more appealing than a spin through a mall that fuels the oppressive “fast fashion” industry.

Also, learned a new word from your story. “Flyover” - same as “overpass” in the United States. I am trying to remember each read better, so I will aim to take in the title which says it all: “I Miss My Beautiful City - Bengaluru: The journey from Garden City to Silicon Valley of India.”