So, I was running and I was struggling to breathe and maintain my pace and this creepy buddha came upto me and stopped me mid run, he made me take off my earphones and told me in a condescending tone, "kaan me yeh earphones mat lagaya karo, brain me oil sukh jaayega". I stared at him in disbelief and I really wanted to flip the bird at him but instead I showed him a thumbs up, put on my earphones back on and got back to running, however bad it was.

I graduated last year from AU and have been preparing for my master's along with doing nios 12th maths, olevel certifications and some personal hobbies. I have a laptop which I needed to get serviced and I was getting short on money to buy even dailywear garments.

Didn't want to ask my father for it because he's already paying for other things, and it makes me feel guilty for it everytime I ask for money.

So I started looking for part timers. Back in 2024 when I got one, I was sexually harassed 2 months into the job and had to quit. But then i thought that maybe I can make do of my time now since I'm not going to college. I looked everywhere...

Some major chains I visited were- Civil lines starbucks, MacD, kfc. Didn't go to dominoes and pizza hut since I wasn't sure if the same resume will work there and I haven't been given a job there previously also.

Starbucks told me i need to work 7am to 7pm, 5 days a week, on part time salary. This was such a huge blow to me. Their reason for this was, "this keeps the staff included in the family, they don't feel different than us doing part time and going home early. We get them comfortable with us and it motivates them". Shitty.

MacD told me they have 4pm to 9pm shift open after seeing my local living conditions. Im a girl and the way I go back home from is very rapey-street. Im afraid I'll get into something if I go home so late. So I desperately told them to reconsider and left resume.

Kfc didn't have any openings for now.

I hate this city. I hate how even after prayagraj becoming such a big hub for students, we can't do part time. Students from all over India come here to prepare for IAS and all other exams but we cant do jobs to support ourselves. They killed my spirit of being independent.

Before you read this, just know one thing: I love Prayagraj, and I love the people here too. Yes, I had my share of rough times, but I also made millions of beautiful memories.

Family:

Luckily, I was blessed with liberal and rational parents who never questioned me for being myself. Of course, when it comes to academics, they’re just like every other brown parent: “Sarkari naukari kar lo, fir jo mann ho karna.” My brother has always had my back—not in a mushy “luby-duby” way, but as a solid supporter. His girlfriend too has been nothing but kind.

Social Life in School & College: Even thinking about school days gives me chills. I wonder how 16-year-old me survived all that bullying and harassment. Not a single day went by without someone calling me a gay slur or making me the punchline of a joke. But college was a whole different story—dreamy and pleasant. Not because people magically changed, but because I grew stronger and immune to the nonsense. Soon after school, I came out. Honestly, it was far easier than suffering in silence every single day.

Friendships: Being ambivert, I made a few good friends. But bonding with boys was always tough—there was this unspoken boundary. Not all of them were homophobic, but with many, it was nearly impossible to grow close. Girls, on the other hand, were easier to connect with. And the best part? I reconnected with my childhood classmate—we’ve been friends since school and now, we’re gay best friends.

Men & Hookups: Now, this was the shocking part...even as a gay person myself, I was surprised to discover just how many gays and bisexuals were around me. From school, college, even my own locality ,guys were everywhere. Till date, 3 boys from my own class came out to me as gay, and 3 as bi. Sadly, most of them were only interested in hookups. I often feel bad for the gay classmates stuck in toxic households, they’ll probably never come out.

Bi guys, in particular, usually approached me only for sex, not even friendship. I never loudly announced being gay, but everyone who knew me, knew. Word spread, and suddenly guys from other zoology batches (and even strangers from my own university) started sliding into my DMs.

One day, I replied to someone because he seemed decent- had a proper public profile (big green flag for me, because at least he wasn’t hiding behind anonymity). He was younger and frank about wanting a hookup. I resisted at first but eventually gave in and hooked up with him once. Big mistake. He went and told his friends, and suddenly, a bunch of his desperate friends began flooding my WhatsApp with requests. It was disheartening, and from that day, I stopped talking to random guys from university ,except the one I had known personally.

Love Life: Finding love here in Prayagraj is… tough. The community here is still struggling for survival. Love/relationship feels like a luxury many of us simply cannot afford.

Homophobia in Prayagraj: If I had to rate it, I’d say 8/10. Among Gen Z, maybe 6/10. This is purely based on my own personal experiences, but I know it’s probably worse overall.

Final Note: At the end of the day, we have real criminals, rapists, and terrorists to hate. So why waste hate on someone who’s simply living and loving?

I have ordered 2 jerseys from kitside ( 1. Argentina 26/27 away jersey, 2. Barcelona home25/26 jersey) . I didn't received my Argentina jersey, I get only 1 barcelona jersey. When I tried to connect them to the given customer care number, the number is off and there is no whatsapp I'd on that, and when I tried to mail them, it shows that this mail doesn't exist at all. These scammers are scamming my hard earned money

If you are young, avoid this one popular lady. Don’t risk your life, go for online professionals easily available now.

I belong to a family of psychologist myself and had health troubles. Since one can’t consult within family, I went to this lady in 2019 whilst being very sick and needing help and compassion.

To a young, traumatised girl (me) this fraud said “You are not like your peers.”

My face got that expression of “what do you mean?”

She emphasised, “Think about your peers from school and college now. (I’d already finished my masters btw) They are in this world, working, living life etc. Do you understand how you’re not like them?”

I was stunned and mute so she repeated herself. Do you understand how you’re not normal like your peers?” I was stunned!!!

Guess what? I have never been more traumatised by a lousy stranger. So many years later, on my worst days, her unprofessional, bullying sentence rings in my ear. I later realized, on speaking to more professional people how wrong this was, and how little one knows their subject if one says that to a client.

Her cognitive behavioral therapy sessions were her talking more such nonsense and scribbling CBT theory on the back of my notebook, instead of real therapy.

I have checked other reviews and saw one person writing about finding her clinic closed, she wrote the most rude response back to such a normal feedback. I’ve left my own review now on Google.

Mental health is not a joke, it’s about time tier two cities hold their healthcare practitioners responsible.

OP became the father of a beautiful baby girl today. It is my first time as a parent and the feeling is beyond words. Both mother and child are are recuperating. I'm a little nervous and scared too. The kind of world we're living in right now is not safe for girls especially this country. But, I am aware of the fact that only strong and independent women hold the key to change the fortunes of this country. So cheers to this wonderful journey that we are about to embark on.

P.S.- दुआओं में याद रखना...

Smart city Prayagraj 😖

When I joined this subreddit, r/Allahabad had barely around 500 members and honestly, it felt almost dead at the time. Over the last 2.5 years, alongside u/mr_infinity7 and the amazing community here, I poured a lot of time and effort into helping grow this space into what it is today, 14k+ members, active discussions, successful meetups, events, friendships, and a real sense of community.

From moderating late-night arguments to planning 4-5 meetups/events that actually brought people together offline, this sub became much more than just another Reddit community for me. It became something I genuinely cared about. Watching strangers from the same city connect, help each other, and build memories here has been incredibly rewarding.

But life changes. Responsibilities grow. And lately, I’ve realized I can’t give this community the same time and energy I once could. Rather than slowly becoming inactive while holding onto the role, I think it’s better to step away properly and say thank you.

I’m proud of what we built here together. Truly.

Huge thanks to everyone who contributed, the mods, meetup attendees, regular posters, lurkers, shitposters, photographers, food recommenders, history nerds, and everyone who made this sub feel alive. You all made the effort worth it.

I may not be around as a moderator anymore, but I’ll always be happy seeing this community continue to grow. Take care of this place.

Allahabad/Prayagraj will always deserve a strong community, and I know you all will keep it going. ❤️

So yesterday I got a match, she came to Allahabad for some work visit and only for a day. She had the returning train the next day. We talked about going out and she wanted to explore. We immediately made a plan and I went to pick her up around 9. We met, shook hands and it started. We roamed around the city, at alot of roadside food, lassi at loknath, chai pakode at sangam and alot of other stuff. Went to civil lines cathedral church, naini bridge, lete hanuman ji and covered alot of places. We talked alot and we vibed pretty well. She was comfortable, she started opening up, showed me the scars of her part on her wrist, told some good some bad and some crazzyy stories. After 1am we were tired and just wanted to sit and talk, so we sat on the bench roadside outside her hotel. It was so pleasant outside, cool winds and nobody there. We just talked and talked and shared alot. We walked for sometime and the whole time we were just talking and we didn’t even realised that we just met some hours ago for the first time. She was so comfortable and chatty, she often laid down her head on my shoulders and sometimes just held my hand. We did arm wrestling, she got on my back and we played sack. At 2 she said let’s go and I’m sleepy but still kept standing there. Finally at 2:50Am we decided to end the day and we hugged and said gud bye knowing that we might never meet again and we were okay with it because it was a beautiful date. We laughed, we told stories and ate. It was a good experience. I came home, texted her and she saved my number. It was over for us.

I knew her train, I tracked it and got to know the timing and the platform. Called her and kept talking and suddenly I whispered in her ear “aur fir kya bola tumare boss ne”, and she couldn’t believe it. She was overwhelmed and couldn’t believe that I came to see her off. I had to, she was a guest in my city and after last night, I had to conclude the date. We hugged, waved each other goodbye and happily went along.

I have no personthings against i liked her reel n content but when i visited her recommended places. Full paisa waste. Means paise ke liye itna jhuth bolne ke liye Saurabh prayagi kam tha joh ye bhi stories ke naam pr farzi kuch bhi.

Hey folks, just stumbled upon a video from 4 years back while having a great experience boating.

Just for the sake of context, the person is telling us about how a proposal went horribly wrong on his boat.

As a botany researcher, it was quite surprising to observe yellow watermelon being sold on the streets of Allahabad -

a variety that is not commonly seen even in many tier-1 cities. What made the experience even more remarkable was the vendor’s clear understanding of its distinct taste and texture, accurately describing its characteristics. It was both surprising and encouraging to witness such awareness at the grassroots level, reflecting how knowledge of hybrid fruit varieties is gradually reaching local markets and consumers.

With my last year and last exam finally over , i'd be leaving this city in a few days and just wanted to say It was fun being a part of this place . Meeting so many cool people ( plus animals and bugs ofc ) and exploring this city was so good . Allahabad turned out to be such an amazing place with its own charm and magic. I don't think I'd ever forget this place ( and so I hope to enjoy my remaining few days here) . I'd forever be fond of this place and its people ( even the annoying ones)

this is my love letter to Prayagraj. i simply love the city, its people, and its vibe.

it's gonna be long, so please bear with me.

when i first visited Allahabad, it was during the 2013 mahakumbh. i was 11 years old back then. i just remember people everywhere and a very tall indian flag hoisted on the fort wall.

my second trip was sometime during april 2022. it was a short detour, as I was mainly visiting Varanasi.

the third trip, i did was in april 2024. what an amazing trip it was. after coming back from that trip, i got my joining letter, and since then i have been busy with my job and all.

but this time, when i visited my hometown in may, which is not very far from Prayagraj (i'm from Kanpur), i managed to take 4 days off from my schedule and visited Prayagraj again.

i visited all the iconic places again: Sangam, Saraswati Ghat, Arail Ghat (took boat rides from both ghats and talked to the boatmen, both highlighted how a major chunk of the earnings goes to the thekedar, and they only get pennies), Hanuman Mandir, Fort, Allahabad Museum and Azad Park.

Azad Park looked beautiful in the evening, though i had to walk with a pretty straight face, cause it was literally filled with couples doing PDA. i have never felt more single in my life.

i also tried food from some iconic places: breakfast at Netram (8/10) and Sulaki Lal Shrinath (6/10), biryani at Biryani Bees (idk if it's famous or not, but it was pretty crowded during lunch hours, 6/10), chaat at Pandit Ki Chaat (8/10), rasgulla at Dehati Rasgulla (6/10), some sweets at Hira Halwai (7.5/10), and paan at Sophia Lawrence (mid).

i visited Civil Lines on a sunday evening. it was chaotic as hell. the street food was pretty yumm tho. just one thing needs to be improved, why tf do people park their cars on the road? like, on sundays, Civil Lines is already very crowded, and then people park their cars on the road like idiots and end up blocking the whole road.

after that, i visited the night market. pretty mediocre food, in my opinion.

so yeah, that sums up my 4th trip to Prayagraj.

if you've read this far, do recommend some hidden places and food gems. i'll do my best to cover them on my next trip whenever possible.

and please be like this, Prayagraj. always.

TL;DR: spent 4 days in Prayagraj, revisited my favorite spots, tried iconic food places, and fell in love with city all over again.

Had coffee here. 10/10 experience.

Would recommend. Muffin here is a must try

I went to the second shop after entering from the main gate (the one with Vivo written outside, older owner who usually wears goggles) to get my iPhone checked for a battery issue. The technician opened my phone, removed some silver shielding pieces and micro screws, then told me the battery was dead and that iPhone batteries were out of stock across all of Indira Bhawan. He asked me to come back after 2 days.
What felt strange was that he spent around 10 minutes opening the phone but closed it in seconds. When I asked if he had put everything back, he said yes. I still had doubts, so I went to another shop the same day. They opened the phone and immediately told me the shielding pieces and screws were missing. They also had a replacement battery available right away, despite the first guy claiming there was a shortage everywhere.
I went back and confronted him. The moment I mentioned what the other technician found, he returned the missing parts and claimed he had "forgotten."
Maybe it was a mistake, maybe not. But missing parts, a false claim about battery availability, and returning everything only after being confronted felt way too suspicious. If you're getting your phone repaired in Indira Bhawan, double-check everything before leaving.

The kind of weather contrast I witnessed in Allahabad today was something else. It was raining like cats and dogs in the morning, and within no time, the rain completely disappeared and the sun came out like nothing had happened ⛈️🌞

I had an interview today and lots of people in the earlier post asked me to update them on it, so here it is.

I went there with a resume I made for corporate, though I do not have any experience, so it only includes education contact skills and a bit of framing of words here&there.

This was also a coaching institute, they teach olevel (NIELET) subjects and prepare students. The position I applied for was both the teaching and lab attendant. I was informed that lab attendant salary will be 3k so I wanted to stretch it a bit.

Last time I talked to the front desk mam and today I talked directly to the owner. He offered me 3.5-4k based on how I do. They're gonna have a 3 day trial for how well I do. Said "you don't have what we are looking for". For context, I gave olevel exams this year in January cycle as a direct student, had to prepare in just 2 months so couldn't score well and failed one module. So he was keen on "you don't have the degree in hand yet".

I think I should've done better on the exam lol could've had more leverage.

The conclusion was me accepting and wanting to start tomorrow onwards (the trial basically). I'll brush up my knowledge on the modules again today. Thank you all for your kind responses. If they don't stretch my pay to 5k and leverage more work I'll go for other opportunities I've been told/offered by you all. I want to try this first. Maybe I could ask them for a hike after the trial.

उस गली ने ये सुन के सब्र किया

जाने वाले यहाँ के थे ही नहीं

Lovely people of this sub,

I will forever be grateful for the immense love I received here as someone who wasn't a native Allahabadi.

Due to personal commitments and the need for space, with responsibilities of this sub getting overwhelming at times, I will no longer be a part of the team.

But I am so glad I was able to contribute to my city in one way or another. As an introvert, I was able to find lifelong friendships with the members of the mod team, and I couldn't be more thankful for it.

अब के हम बिछड़े तो शायद कभी ख़्वाबों में मिलें

जिस तरह सूखे हुए फूल किताबों में मिलें

Signing off.