Every Bangalorean’s rollercoaster ride from craters to crevices ends in dreams of a city like Thiruvananthapuram.

Thiruvananthapuram is adorned with clean roads. My senses, like the garlands in Tiruvanandapuram’s temples, blossomed on its concrete paths. The aroma of chai wafted from the footpaths. I heard Carnatic music and thought of the bright green lands beyond the city — a reminder of how serenity still exists amid modern chaos.

My auto raced past the white foam of the beach. The brown sand of Kovalam hummed with the noise of the winds. After a year’s travel through Bangalore’s bustle, my heartbeat finally found its rhythm. I felt the warmth of the sun and the soft tickle of raindrops in my hands.

Thiruvananthapuram is the pomegranate of cities — thickly packed with people, bright and alive. Men walked in crisp mundus, women strolled in cream Kasavu sarees. Decorated elephants stood as souvenirs on shop shelves. Inside, the shimmer of threadwork and brass idols gleamed under warm lights. I spent hours wandering, bargaining, and breathing in the city’s calm confidence.

Later, I found a place called Chef Pillai to feed my hungry stomach. Under its ornate lights, I poured prawn curry over soft appams and slurped them with quiet satisfaction.

As I searched for banana chips to take back for my Bangalorean friends, I noticed something striking — not a single beggar along the streets I walked. Curious, I asked ChatGPT if beggary was banned in Thiruvananthapuram.
“Yes, it is,” came the reply.
The state government had launched a program called Sharanabalyam, tracking children to end begging networks and rehabilitating adults into dignified work.

Deeply satisfied, I returned to my hotel to rest. There, I waved to a silhouette I mistook for an old friend, Pranav. The man looked confused, uninterested — understandable. Moments later, he called a waiter to carry his luggage. The waiter replied, “It’s 5:30 pm and I’m off duty.”

In an era when 12-hour shifts are seen as normal, here was a man drawing his line — asserting his right to rest. I was dazzled by that quiet act of bravery.

On the roads of Thiruvananthapuram that day, I saw bravery, egalitarianism, and cleanliness — the very dreams of every Bangalorean.