Patiala: The royal city with a people’s touch
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On the dating app where we met, my husband had mistakenly (and to our good luck) mentioned Chandigarh as his city of residence instead of Patiala. The 29-year-old me wouldn’t have dated someone from a city I knew nothing about.
The 33-year-old me is glad I did.
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Having spent major chunk of my life in Delhi and Chandigarh, moving to Patiala was a serendipity – the slow pace of life, houses that had big gardens, friendships that ran deeper than blood, and even acquaintances willing to go an extra mile for you. The feeling of warmth that has been long forgotten in bigger cities, came across in every person I met.
The only thing I missed sometimes was a nice coffee shop, though Starbucks and CBTL opened up soon after I moved.
It was a city where people still picked and dropped their kin at the railway stations – instead of booking cabs for them. A city where salons didn’t overcharge and underprovided; doctors accommodated patients on phone calls; and conversations felt like warm hugs.
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A city with a big heart, holding true to its name in every which way – The Royal City.
Though we live in Chandigarh now, Patiala and the man that comes from the place have my heart forever.
Smridhi Chawla, Chandigarh
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