I had been in Surat for the past one year. My first job was in Reliance Industries Limited, Surat. I was very apprehensive about the place because whomsoever I mentioned it to murmured sympathetic words back. But I didn't want to be prejudiced against it just then. I wanted to give it a chance before I passed my judgement about it.
Our first day or rather night in Surat was quite surprising for me and my parents. We got down from the bus at around 11:30 at night and expected the roads to be deserted except a few autos maybe and ended up getting into a traffic jam. It was a lively and vibrant city with very simple and (most of the times) helpful people.
My time in Reliance had been very memorable too. I met different kinds of people. Learnt a lot about how offices work. Got a taste of the acerbic office politics. I learnt that its an unavoidable inevitable part in any job these days. But I guess what each job teaches you is....To lie... It teaches you to be tactful and be very diplomatic with your answers. These are some things they never teach you in school or colleges but which I suppose should be included in the first chapters of our curriculum. But I know they never will.
Well Surat as a place was the best place I had dwelled in my life till date. It is the safest place for girls. I won't say there is no eve-teasing....there were circumstances when me and my friend while getting back home from our dinner were followed by guys in bike. It happens everywhere right. But here these cases occurred in the ratio of one in a thousand. I have tried to infer a logical reason behind this anomaly and have come to this conclusion that guys don't tease girls here as much as in other parts of the nation because by the time guys get to that age they are already married off.... Ha..ha.. People in Gujarat marry quite early and you will literally see people barely passed out of high school and walking off with a kid in their arms. It gives me shivers down my spine. To be married that early in life and taking care of a family and having responsibilities is a little scary.
I have a friend there who is engaged and is planning to get married next year. Oh man.... That makes you feel old...ancient would be more appropriate....But then I guess I am doing things with my life which they are not and that is kind of a consolation...besides seeing them only makes you want to wait a little while longer and enjoying the singleton's life before taking that final plunge into apocalypse...
Suratis (people staying in Surat call them that) are very fond of food and are extremely fun loving people. The evidence of it can be witnessed every Sunday on the footpaths of the Piplod area. People throng these footpaths as if they are parks or gardens. From early evening to late night you will find people sitting on these footpaths and enjoying themselves. I went out with two of my friends to shop one Sunday and that was the last Sunday we ever went out.
People in office told me to go out on the New Year's night to see the crowd on the roads. I went to sleep by 11:30 because I wanted to get up the next day on my own bed and not a hospital bed. I was scared that I would die in stampede out there...
The city was beautiful... Situated on the banks of the river Tapi. And it became more enticing when I had great company to go out with. I made some wonderful friends out there. People whom I would want to be friends with for the rest of my life... People who made this alien city turn into a beautiful place with wonderful memories I always want to cherish. My special thanks to them for everything they have done for me and for being who they are.... You guys are indeed... Khoob-Surat....
XOXO
