Koregaon Park back to business

After a three-day lull following the blast at German Bakery, Koregaon Park is slowly returning to normal, reports Yogesh Joshi.

After a three-day lull following the blast at German Bakery, Koregaon Park is slowly returning to normal.

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Most shops reopened on Tuesday on North Main Road, the arterial road in the locality, after getting sanction from the police.

At most of these shops and eateries, business bounced back as regular customers made a beeline for them.

As the road reopened, there was a rush to take in the remains of German Bakery and to capture the scene on mobile phone cameras.

“Initially, I was in two minds whether to open my shop on Tuesday. But staying indoors would have served no purpose as we have to deal with such situations,” said Santosh Sharma (52), who has been selling bouquets on North Main Road for almost a decade.

With the Osho Commune nearby, the road was bustling with foreigners shopping for khadi kurtas, flowers and footwear.

The security at the commune and Chabad House, a Jewish centre, has been beefed up.

For Nilesh (32), who runs a hotel 200 meters from German Bakery, most of the day was spent answering customers’ queries about the blast. “I had to tell the same story over and over again.”

Irishman Daurren Srivosci, who has been in Pune for almost two decades, said: “I am shocked and saddened over the loss of life, but not scarred. Pune has given me enough, and it’s the time I do my bit for the city.”

Srivosci, a regular at German Bakery, rushed to the site on hearing of the blast on Saturday. All he could see, he said, were ashes and broken bodies.

Sachin Singh, also a regular at German Bakery, was saddened by what happened to his favourite haunt. “For the next few days, I will not be able to visit the bakery,” he said.