aday’s blog

I know what everyone is expecting but I am not writing about it.

 The last thing in my life, if I have ever attempted is blaming.   Even today, as I am travelling towards
yerwada, a sorrow engulfs me but blaming, I don’t wish to do that. One reason
could be- It does no good, second, but surely- it ruins the day(for me and for people around me)

I remember the old times when- this area ‘the nagar road’ used to have trees.
A pleasure it was, a memory it is. I used spend hours watching people on both sides of road;  children, couples, old people taking their time out. The shades were
beautiful for me.  I was told the road
needs to be there, I was ok with that. 
But no one told me trees were not needed.  I don’t know and I don’t care if the whole
city unanimously agreed  and said- cut
the trees build us the road. For me – no trees is no trees, reasons apart.

I know the current generation, I myself belong to it and
feel no shame in writing,  we don’t know
the value of greens, there was no way for us to find out they are the life
lines (a few passages in a book make no difference). We grew up dreaming up of those boxes shaped, concreted high storied
houses and malls and we people are happy with it. Was everyone blind, is every
one blind? That road, today, looks like a barren piece of concrete. Do you call
it Pune? Do you even feel it like is inside Pune?  Had we no imagination when we approved of it?
It looks like a big corridor built between the bedroom and the drawing hall, a
concrete structure without life.

I remember the first day, I had stepped into this city. A
green city, filled with trees and birds. 
Till that day, I had been experiencing- greens and development don’t go
together but I found a city which had both life and a possibility.  Who was to say- I was blessed to see heaven
before its downfall.

Why am I so hard? I mean- why so hard words? The
construction- to me, represents a direction we people have chosen?  Life style matters more than the greens. The
trees! We no longer need them. I am hard because the mere thought of life in
Pune without all these greens scares me.

Next generation, not only addicted but forced to live in AC
and those who cannot afford- living miserably under the fan.  Pune dying out the minute noon starts.  No more neighborhood chit chats on road, the
end of the mid noon summer cricket, end of couples under the trees.  I am leaving the serious things out because
we can manage with/without them. We are special people. But society! the thread
which defines Pune, with every tree, we are cutting it down till the roots.

And it goes the same for any city you live in.

…Apurva