6:00 am, there is light outside; a quiet start to a cloudy morning in June, looks like it may rain but it often does not, the clouds disperse after the morning assembly. You can wake up to bird songs in Bangalore, but I never imagined I would see the avian beings responsible for the chripings, but they were there, a pair hopping around on the balcony railings for a while like energetic three year olds, brown body with a reddish orange crown, they were small birds, I don’t know their names. They won’t stay still for a click and soon fly away.

I change to track pants, T shirt, strap on the digital watch; the pants have pockets, so yes, I will take the mobile phone along, slide into the walking shoes and step outside. The breeze is cold; after dismissing the fleeting thought of going back in and covering up with a fleece jacket, I walk on, soon the wind feels less cold. At the apartment complex, the early morning home deliveries are in progress. Outside on the road, there are vehicles speeding past; the shops remain closed, except for the tea shop, where the construction workers drop in for a tea/ coffee and smoke. In front of a shuttered shop a newspaper delivery agent is busy inserting the printed ads into the newspapers soon to be delivered.

The lake is deserted at this hour. The old man sweeping the walkway is busy at work; donning a white cap, shorts, T shirt and mask hanging from one ear lobe. The sun is up and the light reflected from the still green water of the lake is blinding. The rains in May have energised the greenery around the lake. But most of the flowers in bloom for the last two months of summer have fallen off and instead, there are new leaves and fruits hanging on the trees.

June & July are the rainy months. The the yellow flowers of the copperpod trees have given way to the characteristic fruit pods with the colour of old copper. They are a beautiful sight, glistening in the morning sun.

By 6:30 am, the dog walkers abound at the lake; the big dogs literally pull their walkers along in their enthusiasm and vigour. The sun has dried out the mud along the walkway, so the trail around the lake is firm for now; but rains will turn the whole place slippery soon. On the eastern periphery, the pipe laying is almost complete. The rains have increased the water level of the lake, the eucalyptus grove is still flooded.

By 7:00 am, the crowd at the lake sees a large number of older men, usually walking in pairs or if alone they play bhajans or old Hindi songs out loud from their mobile phones; they stop to talk others of their age group, laugh and connect. The number of people circumambulating the lake doubled now just from an hour ago; but still the less crowded than April-May. The reason being that the schools have reopened in June, parents need to get the kids ready for school!

7:30 am, I am walking back to the apartment complex and the driveway presents a crowded scene; parents and kids waiting to board the yellow school buses. 1 June fell on a Wednesday and no cause to delay the reopening of schools and start of the new academic year, so it’s an exciting start to the month. The security guards who were used to a rather dull and slow mornings for the past two years are suddenly busy conducting the traffic at the apartment; their whistles directing the buses and outgoing cars of office goers, monitoring the maids and delivery agents.

Till next post, take care !!