When I think of Bombay ( I relate to it as Bombay and not Mumbai so for me thats what it is always going to be!), there is a lot that comes to mind. But predominantly what comes is the fact that this is my city, where I was born and brought up and the most important and dominant feeling is the sense of belonging that I feel towards it! Overtime it has transformed, some of it for good and some not so good unfortunately. But here today I want to focus on what this city means to me, what I love and absolutely adore about the nature and fabric of it!
The vibe and buzz of Bombay is just something else altogether. Its such a vibrant and vivacious place, always buzzing and pulsating to the core. A city thats constantly on the move and in the truest sense, a city that never sleeps. You have to be out there at any unearthly hour of the night and you can see that this phenomenon actually exists. If you really did not have access to time you would be very tempted to believe that its just about the advent of night!
Another aspect of this city that is truly endearing is its people. A great melange and a good blend of different cultures. And there is something that is very typical about any and every Bombayite. A very warm and chilled out population, friendly and welcoming. By and large also very helpful. I have to still come across people here who will actually turn around and say they do not know a place when you ask for directions. In all their enthusiasm they will guide you for sure even if its incorrect! One hilarious incident comes to mind when I talk about the helping nature of people here. My friend actually witnessed this when she was travelling to work by the local train. One man got off the train and ran in the opposite direction( was probably in hurry to get wherever he had to!), where the train going towards the other end of town had just started to leave the station. So the people in that train actually thought that this man had missed his train and was running to get into it and they all collectively pulled him up, much to his horror and shock! What a funny sight that must have been! A man getting off the train and getting pulled into the other one going in the exact opposite direction of his destination. And the poor man for the life of him would have not been able to understand what the hell was going on but for all you know, all concerned must have had a good laugh! But thats precisely what I intend to highlight here. The people did not read the situation correctly and so in all their enthusiasm and eagerness to help, thought that they were actually doing the person concerned a good turn!
For women this city surely is the best place to be, especially when it comes to moving around on your own and even by and large being out late at night or getting back home late. These factors have been compromised upon in the recent past and we do hear some horrifying incidents which is really sad. But in comparison to many other cities, its still safe enough which is a very comforting factor at the end of the day.
Amongst seasons, the winters are beautiful though brief in comparison to the other seasons. 'Bombay in the rains' is just sublime. The monsoon does something magical to this city. It looks and feels awesome. Whether you are at home or outside you can enjoy the rains to the hilt. You could be indoors, all tucked in watching your favourite film or reading a lovely book along with a refreshing cup of adrak chai. Nothing can beat that! Alternately you could be outside for a drive or with friends at a coffee place by the sea, and its equally if not more enjoyable. The whole experience has to be "felt". It creates a different sense of well being in you and just lifts your spirits to another level altogether.
The places to hangout in Bombay are so many and so varied that you almost always have such a wide choice at any point in time. And what always amazes me is be it a weekday or the weekend, any and every place, new and old alike, are all packed!! You have new joints mushrooming all over and they all do well! It could be a roadside vadapavwala, dosa/sandwich joint, midlevel restaurants or high end places, they always have enough in terms of customers visiting them to savour the varied cuisines they offer! The small roadside tapri joints are something else altogether, especially the cutting chai that they serve! Awesome!
Last but not the least, is something about Bombay that is one of my favourites and that is the 'sea'! Having lived here all my life and going to places by the sea, be it Carter road or the Bandstand promenade, Joggers park or Juhu beach, you just kinda take this aspect for granted. If I ever have to relocate to a place that does not have the sea, I would be very very disappointed. The sea has a tremendous calming and soothing effect. Some of my most sad, upset and reflective moments have been at these places, especially when I want to be alone, sort my head out, or allow my emotions to settle. Something about being by the sea is deeply healing as well, something very therapeutic! Im sure that my affinity to the sea has something to do with me being a Cancerian too. I still have to come across a fellow cancerian for whom the sea does not spell some magic! The sunsets by the sea are divine! The twilight and the hues are mesmerising! The vastness of a water body like that is so intriguing and spell binding at the same time that it often leaves you with a sense of tremendous awe!
There are some specific places which comprise my 'Bombay list', but thats the next blog. Cant do justice to them in this one. Im just going to end this by summarising what I feel about Bombay! It is a city which gives you hopes and dreams and the drive and the opportunties to live them out, a city which spells home, a city which makes you feel a part of it and welcomes you with open arms, irrespective of where you hail from, a city that will always have favourite spots which you identify with or relate to, especially in your most soulful moments, a city that has no derth be it people, relationships, opportunities, places and a city that actually makes you belong to it. If you have lived here a good deal, you will understand what is meant by the phrase, "Once a Bombayite, always a Bombayite!"
There is a paragraph in Suketu Mehta's book which has captured the essence and character of this city ........."Bombay is a city in which everything is on broad, public display. Nothing is hidden. A city like Bombay, like New York, that is a recent creation on the planet and does not have a substantial indigenous population, is full of restless people. Those who have come here have not been at ease somewhere else. And unlike others who may have been equally uncomfortable wherever they came from, these people got up and moved. As I have discovered, having once moved, it is difficult to stop moving.”
― Suketu Mehta, Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found.
