I visited Bengaluru, popularly known as the Silicon Valley of India and one of the country’s biggest IT hubs. The city has attracted enormous investment from foreign companies and multinational corporations over the years. As a result, it has become a dream destination for people with strong technical and management backgrounds because of the excellent career opportunities and attractive salary packages offered by leading companies.
However, along with opportunities, the city also comes with a high cost of living. The expenses, especially transportation and accommodation, can significantly affect one’s budget. The real estate sector in Bengaluru has flourished tremendously in the last decade, with new apartments, tech parks, and commercial complexes coming up rapidly across the city.
I travelled to Bengaluru by plane. My destination was almost an hour away from the airport. Unlike Hyderabad, where government taxi services are available at the airport, I did not find such a facility there. We booked an Uber, and the fare to our destination was around Rs 780.
While returning, I had booked a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation bus from Kempegowda Terminal 1 bus stand. The bus was scheduled to depart at 8:50 PM and reach Hyderabad the next morning at 7:15 AM. To stay on the safer side, I planned to leave at 5:30 PM, believing that three hours would be more than enough to reach the terminal.
But destiny had something else planned.
Suddenly, heavy rain started pouring across the city. I repeatedly tried booking a cab, but no driver was accepting the ride. Every passing minute increased my anxiety. It was a tense situation, and for a moment I genuinely felt that I might miss the bus. The same cycle kept repeating—I booked the ride, and drivers cancelled or ignored it.
Finally, at 6:28 PM, one driver accepted the ride request. It felt like a huge relief, almost as if I had won a lottery. I even selected the extra-priority option by paying an additional Rs 65. Due to the rain and demand surge, the taxi fare had almost doubled and came to Rs 1163, whereas normally it would have been nearly half that amount.
The journey to the bus terminal was equally stressful. The roads were packed with traffic, and at one point the jam seemed endless. I anxiously asked the driver whether I would be able to reach Terminal 1 on time. He calmly replied that everything depended on the traffic flow, which at that moment appeared almost stagnant.
But thankfully, luck was finally on my side.
After a tense and exhausting ride through Bengaluru traffic and rain, I reached the bus terminal at 8:30 PM—just in time. The KSRTC bus was waiting there, ready for departure. At that moment, I felt immense relief and gratitude. What had started as a stressful evening finally ended peacefully, leaving me with an unforgettable travel experience in the bustling IT capital of India.
