Chandigarh Is Planned. My Dad’s Love Is Too | Diary With Dad

A Diary With Dad story from Himachal Pradesh

Some cities feel like puzzles.

Chandigarh feels like a blueprint.

Straight roads.
Clear sectors.
Trees planted with purpose.
Footpaths where people actually walk.

Everything seems to know where it belongs.

At first, it feels different; almost too neat. But after a while, you realise something: when things are planned, you don’t have to worry about where to go next. You just move forward.

And that’s when it hit me.

This city feels like my dad’s way of loving.

Not loud.
Not dramatic.
But steady.
Intentional.
Always thinking a few steps ahead.

Chandigarh doesn’t surprise you with chaos. It surprises you with calm. The traffic flows. The parks breathe. The streets feel like they were designed to give you space, space to walk, space to think, space to be.

That’s what traveling with my dad feels like too.

He plans routes so we don’t get lost.
Checks timings so we don’t rush.
Carries snacks so no one gets hungry.
Keeps umbrellas for weather we haven’t even seen yet.

It’s not exciting in the movie way.
But it’s comforting in the real-life way.

In a city like Chandigarh, you don’t have to fight your way through. You just… arrive. And in that ease, something softens inside you. You stop bracing for confusion. You stop preparing for noise. You trust the road.

That’s what structure does. It gives you confidence without saying anything.

I realised something sitting in a car at a red light that actually stayed red long enough to matter.

This is what support looks like.

Not always in words.
Sometimes in systems.
Sometimes in schedules.
Sometimes in someone quietly making sure you’re okay before you even ask.

People often think love has to be emotional to be real. But sometimes, love is practical.

It’s knowing which turn to take.
It’s keeping things predictable when the world feels unpredictable.
It’s creating a path so someone else can walk without fear.

Chandigarh doesn’t try to impress you with drama.
It impresses you with order.

And my dad doesn’t try to teach lessons out loud.
He teaches them by how he shows up; again, and again.

Travel often teaches you about places.
But sometimes, it teaches you about people sitting right next to you.

In a city where everything seems planned, I learned something important:

That structure can be kind.
That planning can be love.
And that feeling guided doesn’t mean you’re being controlled.
It means someone cares enough to think ahead for you.

Chandigarh is planned.

And so is my dad’s love.

And both make the journey feel safe.

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