Once a Mumbaikar, always a Mumbaikar.... is it?

The last time I checked, travelling to work in a train compartment filled with the scent of sweat from every pore of every person, and your sweaty arm brushing against seventy other sweaty arms wasn’t a very welcoming idea (at least not so welcoming to me). I have, on several previous occasions, been honored with scathing looks from women for my poor choice of clothing, my hairy forearms etc. But here, I beg them to try and differ with me, for I welcome thoughts that might make me feel optimistic about this too! Here I was, in the city of dreams, the place where business giants and Bollywood stars reside; the place that strikes back after a terrorist attack, stronger and more united than before; the place that makes the lives of a million and ruin that of few more. Yes, Bombay! The place where my cousins had moved torecently, but that certainly wasn’t the whole point of coming to this place was it? In fact, I wasn’t too keen to seeing them again after just a month, I just wanted to catch a glimpse of Deepika Padukone! And there couldn’t be a place better than the city of dreams itself! (Guys! Off with the smile now, we’re trying to be serious here).

My recent trip to Bombay (I’m sorry M.N.S., I prefer calling it Bombay) compelled me to write
about it in my personal diary. After so many discussions with my blog-partner (Siddharth) and others, as you saw in the previous post, I decided to share it on the blog. I’d like to call it ‘the not so glamorous side of Bombay’ for a few reasons that I’ll share now. I remember once travelling in a local train from Kandivalli to Churchgate, one hour of standing rooted in an overflowing train coach with the most ‘inviting’ odours, and if you’re lucky, you’ll get to smell fresh fish from a close proximityand everyone knows how it differs from a well cooked fish-delicacy. Another major problem was my weight which had seemed to have increased a bit. No, I didn’t weigh myself literally, but I felt heavy. And the part that seemed good to ponder over for a little while was that it had nothing to do with my body mass! Yippee! But then why the hell did I feel heavy? I realized this a bit late (as I always do) that my clothes had gained a few extra grams! And for sure it was Bombay’s ‘drenched’ air, which was to be blamed! Horribly humid! Sticky air that made me feel more uncomfortable and irritated!
But I composed myself. Guess why? Deepika…*sighs*

Seized by composure, I started noticing people’s facial expressions. Blank, stressed, fatigued, one smiling face among the 150 and more blank faces. Some people play games on their cell phones for the complete fifty minutes of their journey. The capacity of a train coach is only 86, but at least 100 people, or even 150 at times are onboard. I was taken aback by their concentration. Even though I’m 19, I can’t stare at that small, dimly luminous screen for so long, undistracted, however interesting the game may be.
And Oh! We have to face so many battles in life, don’t we? And one such daily battle that
people fight there is boarding and de-boarding the local trains in peak hours (which usually
extend for 5 hours in the morning and 5 in the evening, practically the whole working day). In the short, 10 seconds halt, more than fifty people de-board and a hundred others get on board and increase the traffic.
Believe me, it is a very exhausting process, and after this, they go to work and slog for eight
hours! Hats off to them! Finished as they are by the end of the day, they still have to go back
home. This might be the only place where a warm bed and hot food seems not so pleasing
because it is preceded by the local train journey.

I needn’t talk about their mental state after this; I am sure you can imagine it. If you really feel
like seeing them more flustered, just add a small quarrel with their spouses in the morning
before they leave for work, and Voila! You have successfully made it, the ‘worst day’ for anyone!
(like all Indians, they have “learnt to live” with it and they deserve some appreciation for that).
The best part is, people from all over the nation are still migrating to
Bombay in search of money, after knowing all this!

This was just a personal opinion and observation. It can be debated endlessly. I merely
attempted to bring our focus to the unquestionable truth, that there is a darker side to glamour
too! And yes for all those people who started empathizing with me while reading this, of course I
couldn’t meet Deepika Padukone.......

Food for thought…