Gurugram, July 11 -- When Amit Shankar moved to Gurugram from Delhi's Lajpat Nagar in 2001, few imagined the city would become one of India's most recognisable urban landscapes one day. Today, after more than two decades, Shankar no longer thinks of Gurugram as the city he moved to. He says, "Back then, dust defined the city. Tower cranes stood where mustard fields had once flourished, roads ended abruptly, and most people treated Gurugram as a place to work before returning to Delhi each evening. Twenty-five years later, I find myself living in a city that has transformed not just physically, but emotionally as well." Shankar was born in Allahabad, studied in Delhi and has now spent nearly half of his life in Gurugram. "At 53, having lived in DLF Phase-V for over two decades, I often realise that my own journey has unfolded alongside the city's remarkable evolution. Watching Gurugram grow has been like watching a child find its confidence. The skyline changed first, but the real transformation happened much deeper." According to Shankar, people often describe Gurugram only through its glass towers, Cyber City, Golf Course Road and multinational companies. "Those are certainly its visible symbols, but they are not its identity. The city's greatest strength lies elsewhere: It is a place that allows people to arrive with their own stories, beliefs and ambitions, and gives them enough space to build something entirely their own," says Shankar. He adds, "Unlike many older cities that expect newcomers to adapt to an established culture, Gurugram absorbs people from every part of India and allows them to add something to its personality. Everyone contributes a small layer to the city's ever-changing facade. That is perhaps Gurugram's greatest achievement." "As a novelist, I am always searching for stories. Gurugram never disappoints." "Gurugram does not ask you to become someone else. It simply gives you the freedom to become more of who you already are," he said....