I miss the old Chennai

The chennai of a 90's kid : Born and raised at the very heart of this beautiful city. Everyday I wake up and see the dust clouding the visibility, I really really miss the misty early summer mornings where I cycle to school at top speed and then gasp for breathe... Random midnight roaming in Anna Nagar was my escape from reality. Now all I feel is an identity crisis amidst several biriyani trucks and food joints which seem to bustle as the night sets in... A 15 min bike ride to the beach was my way of soul searching. The beach is still there, my house is still exactly where it is, just that it takes 1 hour to reach and I lose my soul somewhere in between... There was a time I used to be angry with everyone flocking to chennai and making it "crowded". But I understood that the more crowded my city becomes, the more lonely their hometowns start feeling... Now I empathize with them as much as I empathize with myself as we both lost our hometown charms in different ways.... There was a time when I was excited about chennai becoming the epicenter of all development. But never have I ever thought that there will be a day it will choke me, suffocate me and make me feel lost in my very own city... I miss you chennai. I wish I could spend one more day cycling through the calm streets and gasp for breathe...