The "timeless" Hyderabadis!

Hyderabad is shockingly amusing. It is a place, where one can leisurely watch time slip by or notice grass grow or catch snails crawling. Nobody actually seems to be in a hurry. For those who are sticklers for punctuality, Hyderabad is a place that has to be avoided like smallpox. As most people in Hyderabad go to offices as late as 11 in the morning and return as early as 3 in the afternoon. In case the workload is slightly heavy, a true Hyderabadi, while snickering will put in two more extra hours, and brag about how much hard he had to work at the office.

As far as the fortunate ones with a government job are concerned, god bless them, they can actually choose their own time to go to office. Moreover whether it’s an officer or a peon in the government department, you will often find them arriving as per their convenience and very rarely according to the convenience of the others.

I still vividly recall an incident at a government office, where the officer was eagerly waiting for the peon to arrive in the morning, so he can send him to get some photocopies. A clear indication that although the Nawabs who ruled Hyderabad have long disappeared, the Nawabi lifestyle is yet to completely rid the lives of Hyderabadis.

But even with all the idiosyncracies of Hyderabadis, Hyderabad still is a place that is synonymous with warm hospitality, mouthwatering cuisine and exotic tourist spots. No wonder Hyderabad remains enigmatically attractive to many a tourist, even with its exasperating laid back lifestyle.