Rohan Chowdhury in Chateauroux
Walking through the stone-paved streets of the small French town of Chateauroux offers a charming blend of tradition and modernity. Just a three-hour train ride away from Paris, stepping out of the quaint railway station out here feels like entering the pages of a storybook, with the atmosphere reminiscent of traditional European hamlets.
On the third evening of our coverage of the Paris Olympics, my colleague Abhijit Deshmukh and I found time to explore the town centre. Public bus rides in Chateauroux are free and almost empty —a stark contrast to what we are used to in Kolkata or Mumbai.
We alighted at St. Helena, about 15 minutes from our hotel, situated near a quiet bypass, with few residential buildings. As soon as we stepped off the bus, we were greeted by a picturesque mix of medieval architecture and modern establishments. Modern cafes and shops line one side of the street, while the next stone-paved alley leads to a 12th-century cathedral.
“Dada, are you from Bangladesh?” asked one of the three boys approaching us. During our time in Paris, we had met many from Bangladesh. These three students — Rubel, Amin, and a third whose name escapes me — are studying in Chateauroux. We chatted in Bangla, before parting ways. “Thank you for the support from Kolkata for our brothers who are fighting the protests in Bangladesh,” one of them said.
“You must miss Indian food. Try out ‘Taj Mahal’ or ‘Bombay,’” they suggested, referring to the only two Indian restaurants in Chateauroux, both run by Pakistani owners.
We decided to visit Taj Mahal, a cozy 25-seater family restaurant, known for its authentic Indian cuisine. After days of croissants and gourmet cheese, dishes like ‘Palak Paneer’, ‘Tandoori Roti’ and ‘Chicken Biryani’ felt like a blessing.
Later, we were driven back to our hotel by Jawad, another Pakistani restaurant owner in this town. He was friends with the owner of Taj Mahal and had recommended the place when we dined at his restaurant, Buffalo Grill, earlier.
The spontaneous friendships formed between people from three countries with complex political histories, all in a faraway land, felt unexpectedly heart-warming.
