Mumbai the city of dreams for one and all , the land where opportunity beckons , where the common man can aspire and hope to become the quintessential bada aadmi in life. Behind all that sheen and glamour that beckons a new arrival to this city , there is the seedy and murky background which fuels the survival of the fittest struggle.
I do not intend to offer a guided tour of the city but I would like to present to readers what the city is as seen by a resident and later on by the same person as an outsider.
I arrived in Mumbai one cold December morning by a train from the south , aged 10 the city merely seemed like a new concrete jungle and nothing really impressed upon me except for the fact that at school it seemed like being in the tower of Babel hearing so many new languages. but as a kid all those superficial differences vanished in a jiffy and I soon merged with the rest of them. Yes this is what the city does to anybody who knocks at its doors whether it is a family on a transfer or a aspiring bollywood actor or a worker from BIMARU they all soon become part and parcel of this melting pot.
Well twelve years later I arrive again at Dadar as a 22 yr old this time seeking more.
This is a city where people are in manic rush to further their ambitions of upping their living standards and the more they achieve the more they perceive to be left behind in the rat race. The city offers the best of the opportunities that a professional can have and be it entrepreneurship or rise up the corporate ladder the commercial capital will provide you launching pads , how each person utilizes or exploits it is unto him.
Now to some facts of mumbai life:
The biggest pain in life is the roof under your head .. the hard earned salary goes for a six the moment you decide to live like a human being and chooses a housing in better part of the suburbs like andheri and further south in western line and maybe matunga chembur on central...and choses to have a home with more than one room..see the very fact that the indispensable local train lingo determines the socio and geographic divide speaks volumes of the powerful grip that the railways as a mode of transport has on one’s life.
The absurdity is stark when you observe that the entire city moves in one direction in the morning for work creating umpteen bottlenecks and congestions The skewed population of offices is the root cause of this malaise. A lot of correction has happened to decongest the city with areas like Bandra Kurla complex , thane , phoenix mill area and other places trying to offer alternate office space.
The social fabric is unique. the ostentatiousness of the Delhi nouveau-riche is conspicuous by its absence but at the same time there is a no nonsense aloofness and a self involvement about the mumbaiite which makes him put self above the society. (again a defensive survival mechanism).
The cosmopolitan nature of the population adds great diversity to the kind of festivals celebrated with great zest. There is cuisine for every taste and budget and in this city and the desi burger i.e the vada pav is the ultimate snack on the run. I have to make a reference to the varied shopping options from the VFM Fashion Street to the shopping malls like cross roads. The eating places from the konkani to udipi to north indian are splattered all over. From martins in colaba to copper chimney to three flights up to naturals icecream to north Indian eateries at Bandra etc , to numerous fast food udipi outlets(frankly speaking I am a out of touch with the latest of the joints ), the city has it all.
The divide between the haves and have nots is quite stark in one way viz the residence of the populace . Thehaves live on the town side and are spared the inhuman travel in the local trains the closest resemblance of which is to a pressure cooker . There is no option but to spent 30 -40 % of one s waking hours in these pressure tubes smelling human sweat and ruminating over inanities hanging on for dear life .. Quality time to be spent with near and dear ones is the major casualty in this crazy lifestyle...
However this is one city that grows on you.. one gets used to all the hardships and as release valve begins to enjoy the positives setting the pains aside ...well what are the pluses ? the junta begins to develop a good network of friends , takes pleasure in the parties , shopping binges , and sees their career getting a boost and begins to further rationalize their existence in this city.
Other miscellaneous pointers : very safe for women to travel, BEST buses are OK , Taxis are great , autodrivers are honest , horrible drainage systems , rains bring up all the muck in the world to the fore , good educational facilities , cool and happening hangouts for youth....
I conclude this review with one thought : No matter what , the city will grip you and will grow on you with the passage of time .Sit back and enjoy your days in the mega polis till the city virtually explodes with humanity.
In the meantime let me chill out in Banaglore which is fast become my favourite city.