27/01/2020 Grammarly

A year ago, today, I was on a flight to Delhi from Lucknow. A year later, today on the same day, I'm
on a train from Delhi to Lucknow. This is probably the last leg of my five-year-long journey in this
city. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love this city. What is it about this ordinary city
that makes it so special. I love Bombay too but Bombay doesn't feel like home, Lucknow does.
This city has made me experience every human emotion possible. Maybe my love for this city is
because of the glorious five years of my youth that I spent here. Here, I Made friends, lost friends,
learned about life, about love, about heartbreaks, about friendship. Maybe that's what makes it
so dear to me.

Is it because This city made me wary of the eve-teasers but still gave me a safe place for my
night outs. It was never too slow for me like the suburbs but wasn't too fast either that I would be
left behind. It moved hand in hand with me. Is it because of all the friends and memories it gave
me but taught me lessons alongside as well? It taught me to hold on to people for as long as I can
but let go when the baggage gets too heavy for my shoulders.

Or is it because of the one friend this place gave me who has been through all my highs and lows,
through all the good hair days and bad hair days, through all the anxiety and the stress, all the
heartbreaks and the tears? A friend who has been there dealing with the struggles of my career
to the struggles of my pimple. The one person you know will stand by you, even at times when you
can't stand for yourself. The one friend we all need who shows us our worth.The Friend who
becomes family. If it was not for this city, how would've I met her.

Or is it the one friend I wanted to have a Chai with for the last time before leaving. I didn't do it,
because, maybe I never believed our story was Over. For me, Chai has become synonymous to
this city or probably to him. Maybe it wasn't the chai, after all, it was the escape. With my legs up
against his, sitting in his car, I found my escape. We were kids, who became friends with each
other, laughed and cried with each other, and then fought with each other but forgot to apologise
and make up. But I can still care about him and maybe it's enough. Isn't it? How long do you think
I have to wait before we can talk like we used to?

Lucknow has made me who I am. Nobody is perfect, neither am I. This city has made me a little
more broken, a little more pessimistic, a little more lonely but it has taught me to travel alone, to
stand up for myself, to be independent, to be unfiltered. It has taught me to love, to hate and to
forgive. You were a perfect fit to my jigsaw puzzle. But I've reached the epilogue of this story. it's
time to end this love affair. But I promise to keep smiling every time someone mentions you, light
up when a movie scene showcases this city, proudly share stories of you and love the people who

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27/01/2020 Grammarly

say they are from Lucknow, a little more. You will always be my first love. I'm leaving a piece of my
heart here. Keep it safe. Teary-eyed but smiling kyunki muskurana padega hum Lucknow Mein Jo
Hai.

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