May - 1993
I just celebrated my 11th birthday. 2 months have passed, since i have had a strange encounter with a strange city known as BOMBAY. It was the 93' blasts, it was all over the news, and somehow I remembered my first cousins staying in this city. Bombay, which was till that time was not known to me as a Glamour City (to be worth mentioning here that I always thought that the film stars are all from Delhi). Well as I had scanned through the Newspaper, I was a bit shocked. Anyways, who was bothered, with my exams over, we had decided to go to Mumbai for our Vacations, to meet my first cousins. Well here it all started the affection, the attachment with this strange city. Boarding the second class compartment in the scorching heat, made me growl, but the site of the Wheelers (Indian Book Selling Stalls at the Railways Station) made my appetite for the brain (some weird, and real absurd people say I don’t have one), for some comics. This made me forgot the heat and i took the upper seat, forgetting the entire world around me, engrossed in an Enid Blyton Book.
Suddenly the train 'cooed its way, and i was fast asleep. Little did I realize I was about to fall in love at such a tender age with a city which has been a life line of India.
August - 2003
Again that was some where close to the blasts, what the hell? Anyways forgot that , just fresh after the wounds of my Girl Friend ditching me , I was here in this city for no purpose, though strange, I just loved this city , so decided to be here
February - 2004
Fanatically I have been calling my first cousin, to get me a project at any company in Mumbai; anyways i know he will get me one. Will he? God please help me, I need one, and it’s my career ‘ka sawaal’. I am on a train to Mumbai. I have a project. This was the time when I got to explore this city, was introduced to lots of things, this include Drugs etc, and really happy that I was a furlong away from all this. Did my projects have a job here at mumbai, and then suddenly everything went hay wired and is on a flight back to Bangalore. WHY???
Today - 2006
Nothing much happening....Is it!! Oh I have explored half of this dream city and amidst all the major ups and downs. The latest Mumbai Bomb Blast the recent one 7/11, this is still my dream and my favorite city. Roamed half the city 100's of times aimlessly wandering from one station to another, just trying to glimpse the life , visited the biggest shows of India to the biggest Slums of this Continent. Seen people slogging themselves, some earning lakh and then met some earning units. Leaned out of the fast moving trains, been squeezed between people in the trains, and trapped in fully crowded Bus. Walked on cleanest Beaches, which is still unknown to half of the mumbaites’. Chased thieves (No I am not a Police Man), stood in queues to give my blood, what all not, and I still Love this City. Been around those waterlogged areas, suffered the wrath of Shiv Sainiks, walking for few kilometers before I reached my home and I still love this city. Went to the Aazad Maidan, for shouting slogans against the Reservation System, felt a little scared, with police van standing a hand away, but still was confident about my love towards the city.
Why do I still Love this city? Just Check, my next blog…………
