BENGALURU: UB City 

An enviable address, a multi-storey complex home to global brands and offices, and the place to hang out. The Collection, UB City, which, over the last decade has come to be known for this and more, now wears a deserted look with the entry to the mall sealed. From packed restaurants to the amphitheatre and fountain where a variety of entertainment activities – stand-up shows, festival markets, music concerts, screening of matches – were held, ensuring a steady year-round footfall. “At some point, life has to start returning to normal. People will want to step out and indulge themselves,” says Uzma Irfan, director, Prestige Group. The firm is in a joint venture with the UB Group.

While a plan of action is still being finalised about how to get the mall running again, apparel brands could either avoid trials or ensure the garment is taken off the racks post-trial and sanitised before being put on display again.  Tables without reservations at the restaurants were a chancy affair and could still be with new social distancing norms. Chef Vikas Seth, the creative brain behind the Sanchez and Sriracha, had a seating capacity of 200 and a long waiting crowd. “We hope we can re-create the same setting with the new norms in place,” he says. 
–Vidya Iyengar

Koramangala, 60 Feet Road

It’s no surprise that Koramangala’s 60 Feet Road was a hit among foodies and night owls of all age groups, given the abundance of fine-dining restaurants, street food and watering holes here. Throngs of diners have now been replaced with delivery personnel and parked vehicles.The locality was also popular for its month-long annual Ramzan food fair with over 100 food stalls. But now, restaurants have resorted to delivery options. Mohammed Arif, manager, Empire Restaurant, says regardless of the efforts, recreating the experience is near impossible. “We’ve been part of the food mela for six years, it’s a huge seasonal attraction. While we have delivery options, the essence of the festival is lost and the stall owners also have no chances of operating. It’s disappointing,” says Arif, adding that adapting to the new normal will continue in the near future unless a solution arises.

Residents too express their disquiet with no events or gatherings to look forward to. “We refrain from ordering or even taking short walks since fear plays a big role. Even if a vaccine rolls out and this pandemic comes to an end, worry will still remain at the back of our heads, so precaution is going to be the new normal,” said a resident, who did not wish to be named. 
– Muneef Khan 

Orion Mall, Rajajinagar

Karthik Raman moved into Brigade Gateway apartments in 2011. But this may be the first time he’s been taking evening walks by the lakeside that fringes Orion Mall and his apartment. “There were too many people before,” he says, calling the now-empty sights at the mall a “blessing.” Once accommodating 80,000 people on weekends, Orion Mall now wears a desolate look. Buzzing music, endless chatter and ding of cash registers are sounds of the past. While some shops still have neon lights on, a closer look reveals the presence of just mannequins. At Nykaa, however, a team of three is still at work, dispatching online orders.

“The mall was never this empty even during a bandh. After 5pm, it would be crowded again,” store manager Waseem says. Mall officials are working to provide a safe environment. All common areas are being sanitised. A member of the mall’s marketing team revealed that drones were also used for this. “We would be ready to open within 24 hours of intimation,” says Rahul Malhotra, deputy GM, marketing, Orion Malls.  However, events that used to be held will be given a miss. “We’ll focus on experiential activities,” adds Malhotra. 
– Simran Ahuja

Basavanagudi

A stroll to get flowers and vegetables, a sip of coffee at Upadhar Darshini, and a long wait for a bite of  benne malasa dosa at Vidyarthi Bhavan. That’s what a typical day in Basavanagudi looked like. This area too took a beating due to the lockdown. However, all hope is not lost. Thanks to relaxations that allow stores to be open till 7pm, it is crawling towards normalcy.

Sumalakshmi, a flower vendor for 25 years, says, “Flowers sell like hot cakes, especially during festivals. But we haven’t made as much profit this time.” While standalone stores are allowed to function, food joints are still surviving on takeaways. Vidyarthi Bhavan is adapting to home deliveries for the first time. “People can use a delivery app or place an order with us. We give them a token number and an approximate time to come and pick the food,” says owner Arun Adiga. With staff members having returned to their native places, team strength has come down from 30 to just 12. 
– Monika Monalisa

Sankey Tank 

Jogs, walks or unwinding by the lake – Malleswaram’s Sankey Tank and 7th Cross have been a go-to spot. While construction projects were underway at Sankey Tank to re-lay the jogging paths prior to COVID-19, a steady footfall was ever present until the lockdown was initiated. Now the authorities look to complete it promptly. While heading back to the lakeside might take longer, residents have resorted to collecting takeaways from eateries. Once witnessing long queues, Central Tiffin Room now operates for limited hours with select items for takeaway.

Sandesh Pujari, owner and a third generation family member, says while the pandemic has brought in a reduction in customers, some regulars are still ordering what’s available. “The virus has made people think twice before ordering in. It’s going to take at least six months to even come up with a dine-in option. And if the government does permit it, I am going to maintain a seating plan with social distancing,” says Pujari. 
– Muneef Khan

Airport

No speeding cars on the road. No slowly advancing aeroplanes in the sky. Multiple checkpoints, barricades, and mounds of dug-up earth add to the ghostly appearance of Kempegowda International Airport, and the pruned hedges and frills of oleanders lining the road are the only reminders of how lively it once looked. Just over a year back, The Quad, the shopping and restaurant plaza, was opened here, bringing cheer among Bengalureans looking for a drive-out spot to hang out. 

The airport operator, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) hopes to reopen the outlets over the next few weeks, with sanitisation and fumigation measures in place. “Staff would be trained to ensure safety of patrons and themselves. Outlets would have safe distance markers in place, and transactions would be as contactless as possible,” a BIAL spokesperson told CE.

For now, the area is eerily silent, but for a couple of shops that restarted business earlier this week. “The store has been opened for the BIAL staff,” says Nijilesh N, the manager at The Gourmet Food. Since March 21, when the shop was shut, they have taken off the shelves expired products worth about `80,000, he says, adding that business now has been worth about `5,000 a day, a distant cry from the `1.5 lakh they earlier made daily. Also open is Wine Vault by Living Liquidz, a liquor store. Ask the manager the state of business, and he gives social distancing a new meaning by not revealing even his name. His perplexed silence is perhaps just a sign of the current uncertainty, when it’s probably the best to keep hopes grounded. 
– Pallavi Srivastava