India, Sept. 27 -- Gurugram's transformation over the past quarter-century is a tale of promise, excess, and eventual disillusionment. What was once a sleepy town with open skies and rustic charm has grown into one of India's most chaotic urban sprawls, struggling under the weight of poor planning, unchecked construction, and collapsing civic infrastructure. "At the turn of the millennium, Gurugram still felt like a village," says Sanjay Lal, a resident of Ambience Island. "You could sit in your garden, look up, and see the stars-a simple pleasure that cities like Mumbai or Delhi had long lost." Open spaces stretched in every direction, dotted with farmlands and a handful of glass-fronted offices, the most iconic being the "Ship Building" near the highway. Residents recall it as the only landmark one needed for giving directions. Early neighbourhoods around Shankar Chowk reflected this simplicity. Colonies functioned like small self-contained islands-complete with a dhobi, a tiny bank counter, and doorstep deliveries of milk and vegetables. "Life was uncomplicated, though it came with its own gaps," Lal says. "After dark, the streets turned pitch black. There were no streetlights, and safety was a real concern." Clinics such as Privat, Umkal, and Uma Sanjeevani were among the few medical facilities available, while weekly vegetable haats in Sikanderpur served as community outings. Dining out was a rarity until a pizza chain opened near where Max Hospital stands today. Then came the boom. The new expressway along NH-8, envisioned as a gateway of growth, ended up slicing the city into two, physically dividing communities and altering its fabric. High-rise corporate offices sprang up almost overnight. "Construction cranes became our permanent skyline," Lal says. Farmers who sold land to developers suddenly found themselves flush with money, much of it squandered on alcohol, arms, and lavish weddings. Liquor shops multiplied, guns became status symbols, and restless villages turned into flashpoints of new money and old grievances. Private players rushed in to build condominiums-self-contained "mini-panchayats" with their own rules. But public infrastructure lagged far behind. The absence of buses and inadequate metro access meant commuting became a nightmare. Rainfall turned roads into rivers, with natural drains blocked by haphazard construction. Waterlogging, potholes, and traffic snarls soon defined daily life. Over two decades, Gurugram's identity shifted dramatically. The donkeys and herds that once traversed its streets gave way to SUVs, traffic snarls and residents wading through flooded underpasses. "The rustic openness that once charmed newcomers has been buried under kachra, sewage, and broken systems," Lal says. Urban experts now use Gurugram as a case study in how not to build a city. "It had every chance to become world-class," Lal says. "Instead, we're living with drains that overflow, roads that collapse, and air we can't breathe. We lost our way." What began as a dream for space, opportunity, and modern living has instead become a cautionary tale. "Gurugram didn't betray us," Lal concludes. "The truth is harsher-its people and planners betrayed Gurugram."...