Mumbai Meri Jaan!

I have come to realise that I am in love with Mumbai.

Well, believe me : its a big confession considering that a few years back I didn't miss a chance to tear apart everything this city had to offer. 4 years back, I would have asked : Why are the people always in a hurry ? Why is no one having time for himself? Why are roads always jammed ? Why does it rain so much ? Why is the drainage system so bad ? Why are the houses so expensive ? Why is the rent so high? Why wouldn't anyone give home on rent to bachelors ? Why do I need to pay this silly octroi if I but a commodity in Mumbai ? Will the JVLR ever get completed? and many more.

So why this change of heart ? While some of these questions are still relevant for me(think Octroi/Drainage/tragic life of bachelors), these things don't really matter. No I am not trying to sound idealistic, but if I look closer, this is probably the city I would have always wanted to me in ! No one bothers what you are doing, you can feel free to go on a drive even after midnight,girls from everywhere vouch that this is the safest city for them, you can sit by the beach and see the sun setting(and rising too), you can eat pan and gola at chaupatti, you can feel the adrenaline rush in your body when you decide to board Virar fast(i love that train!), you can feel the dedication of the people who travel hours everyday so that they can earn a bread for their family, you can see people from different fields/cultures/religions come together and form travellers group in local trains, you can feel the rain and just cheer on the thought of the respite you are getting from the heat and humidity;well you can be youself. This city is indeed a place where dreams turn true if you have the courage to dream.

I wasn't born in Mumbai. My job brought me here in 2003. I was in Mumbai for 2.5 years before I went abroad for a couple of years. In those 2 years abroad, I missed mumbai madly. And now that I am back, I am enjoying every moment I am here. There are so many things about this city that can not be said but just felt.

So Mr. Raj Thackaray, I am here to stay because Mumbai is not what it is just because of you : Mumbai is what it is because I am here as well. So get over the politics and take a sip of cutting chai on Marine Drive and feel the wind :)