Here we go with the second in the series.

Lalitha, 33, Homemaker:

Having grown up as a Tamilian in Mumbai, Chennai became my home only after marriage. It is now more than a decade since I moved here and I must say I quite like it here, although I continue to miss my friends and extended family. I came here with a lot of apprehensions, since I was used to a liberal atmosphere at home and thought that my in-laws would be ultra-conservative, but surprisingly they were also broad-minded. I think Chennai is a city that evokes different kinds of feelings, depending on whether someone has never been there or comes from there and these are really contrasting points of view. What I like about this place is its simplicity, respect for tradition and refined tastes in many things, while what I don’t like is its suspicion of everything that does not conform to its values. Even though Chennai may be as hep as the other cities, it cannot shake off its conservative image that easily and that is not necessarily a bad thing either. At least, it makes it stand out from the rest of the metros in India.