1. (Top) The soul of SoBo Marine Drive 2.(below) That’s me, sipping my fav beer KF at Red Box @Andheri.
Day 2, December 22, 2012
Mumbai
The feeling of waking up in Mumbai. Voila! Encore! Icing on the cake. People who lived life in the city would share my excitement of being in maximum city after a huge gap of three years. First ritual first: Get down and gulped a cutting and a cigarette by the side of the road. Back to YMCA: I was treated to heavy breakfast with salad, oat meat, bread, omelette and tea.
Here I set off on my journey to Maximum city. What have you done in Mumbai if you haven’t travelled by the local train and boarded the BEST. Down the alley at Mumbai Central and on the road to station, hawkers displaying caps, jackets, T-shirts and several goodies on both sides of the road. It’s typical Mumbai, not to mention the shady dance bars which one can easily recognize while walking nearby.
I was surprised and happily amazed that the entrance at Mumbai Central had an overhaul. It was no longer the path hijacked by hawkers but a well painted and marbled floor. It makes life soo friendly for commuters. Then,starts the queue for ticket..getting into the routine life of a Mumbaikar is soo fun, smooth and easy..Ek ticket Andheri la…I tender him a 10 bucks and he hands me the ticket and 2 rupee coin. Now, just for fun and stand to read the platform indication on the computerised screen and its platform number 1. Time to get into the train towards Andheri. Unfortunately, for me the local to Andheri was not crowded at all. I soo wanted to get into the crowded train and jostling by way out by shouting..Pude chala kude chala.
As I travelled through the stations Parel, Elphinstone road, Dadar, Santacruz and Vile Parle it brought a dash memories. The memories of a Mumbai traveller was still fresh in my life and how we would all wake up early in the morning and catch the train in the morning to university and be back during the night jumping in the crowded train. That’s the beauty of life in amchimumbai.
As the train halt of Andheri station, one gets a feeling of deja-vu and the madness of Mumbai makes it so addictive and vibrant. One can’t help but think, No matter what we say, Mumbai is a soulful city. As I was heading to the bus stop, a rickshaw was ferrying passengers on a sharing basis. Unfortunately, he fleeced us and forced us to pay 30 bucks each. That means for a short distance he earned 90 bucks till Infinity. But, then I was in no mood to argue with him since I was too happy to be in Mumbai. Shopped like crazy at Landmark–got myself DvDs and tons of books. I was surprised to see a whole shelf dedicated to Indian writers. It’s proving to be another reason to pen my book which has been in the offing for decades. As I got out of landmarks, I was already carrying a heavy carry bag full of books and DvD’s.
Outside the mall, I became camera crazy and started to click everything that headed my way..mall, busy streets, BEST buses and rickshaw. Jumped at Red Box for a beer. Bang on! Kingfisher beer as I sat down admiring few hot chicks who were having lunch and having a hell good time with beer and a fag. Yeah, I did read the whole morning edition of MidDay.
Heading back to Andheri station, I took a bus and though I stood throughout the journey in the bus with my heavy shopping bag, I wasn’t complaining. Dude! I was travelling in the BEST bus after a hell long time. Some more shopping for briefs and banyans at a shop nearby Andheri station and bought myself a pirated MP3s for 30 bucks only. Time for another cutting and a smoke before taking the local to Mumbai Central.
Checked into the room and had a shower. After that, I headed to Colaba to meet a dear friend of mine, Wilbur who owns a cyber cafe very close by Leopold. Needed to get a sim card and Wilbur got me the connection in a jiffy. He booked my bus for the next day to Pune. I suddenly realised how maximum city is soo fast but how things are so fucking easily fixed. We tend to take things for granted in life. It is only when I left Mumbai that I realized the importance of the city. Amazing is an understatement to describe Mumbai.
Took a walk at the causeway at Colaba where one is surrounded by hawkers selling fake T-shirts, belts..Yes, one will still get a fake Gucci belt for 200 bucks and other fancy watch, clock, scarfs. That’s what Mumbai is all about. On the other side are located the big branded shops..You name it, you will get it..United Colors of Benneton, Pepe, Levis, Spykar..The causeway is swooned by tourists and one will see the infatuation of goras at this part of SoBo (For those who came late South Mumbai). I got myself a new pair of Woodlands shoes and a very nice cap at the shop. At 8 p.m, I was done for the day and hailed a cab to Churchgate station and from there Mumbai Central. It was indeed a busy day in Mumbai. Yeah, I had fry beef masala for dinner at Baghdadi.
Love you too, Mumbai
V
