I Flew Over The Arabian Sea To Land On Another Ocean Called ‘Mumbai’

The Salty Sea Water Was Shimmering In The Sunlight. 

From Above It Looked Like A Huge Water Bed Tempting Me To Take A Walk On It.  From An Altitude Of 31000 Feet I Saw Tiny Ships & Vessels Floating On This Vast Mass Of Volatile Yet Calm Water.

The Sight Of The Deep Blue Sea From The Clouded Blue Sky.

What A Breathtaking Sight Of ‘God’s Work’!

Childlike, I Wanted To Pick Up These Boats In My Pinch & Place Them Wherever I Felt.

I Flew Over The Arabian Sea To Land On Another Ocean Called ‘Mumbai’; An Ocean Of Fun, Opportunities & Struggle. Since The Time I Have Relocated, I Am Feeling Fun Starved. This Is Quite Unexpected, As Factually I Am Not A Party Animal. But Succinctly Speaking I Don’t Want To Miss Any Opportunity To Unwind Myself.

Well….Here Or There ‘Life After A While Becomes A Drag’. My Experience Says, “Don’t Make Any Drastic Attempts To Change Your Life Or As A Matter Of Fact Change Others. It Is Far Too Tedious A Job. Let Them Be The Way They Are. Instead Do Some Self Makeover. If You Feel Flustered & Fed Up. Give Your Eyes A New Sight, Give A New Smell To Your Nose, You Could Savour New Food Or Make Your Ears Listen To New Clatter Or Resonance. Divert Your Mind From The Regular.

When You Will Get Back To The Same Old Usual Business You Will Endear ‘The Normal’ More. And If You Can’t Do Any Of The Above, Simply Go To The Salon & Have A Haircut. Change The Appearance Of The Face In The Mirror.”

Going By This Mantra I Had Me, Mumbai & One Evening In My Hand Till I Had The Luxury Of Having My Next Break.

           

The Synonm Of Desicion Is Inevitable.

I Was Determined. So The Party Began.

With Absolutely No Clue About The Topography Of Mumbai We Sat In An Auto After My Excitment Filled Desire Of ‘First Time Drive In Black-Yellow Taxi‘  Was Quashed By An Equally Insipid Driver. My Friend Put His Sony (Or Was It A Samsung) Gadget To Use- ‘Google Maps‘. It Read We Were 1.5 Miles Away From The Destination Which Tantamounts To 4 Minutes Ride. The World Giant ‘Google‘ Has No Knowledge About Indian Traffic. It Needs To Introduce Day Timeline To It’s Findings. Nevertheless We Challenged The Auto Driver With Google‘s Claim & Manged To Reach In Approximately 20-25 Minutes – Not Bad!

Pubs  Are So Deceptive. It‘s Ambience Makes All Present Not Only Appear More Cooler But More Richer Too. And What‘s With Loud Music, The Liquid & The Mindless Talk!  It Always Works! We Sipped & Munched Masala Peanuts, Fries & Cheese Toast While Awaiting Others. The Idea Was Not Pub-ing, It Was Drumming. Gradually The Crowd Gathered & All Took Thier Positions In The Circle With Their Respective Drum. It Looked Nothing Less Than  A SceneFrom The Movie ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna‘(Minus The Smoke) - All Vagabonds Lost In Making Music.... With Nothing Better To Do In Life Than Drumming & Infrequently Screaming. Ocassionaly I Would Exchang Smile & Stop To Give Rest To The Sore Nerves Of My Palm. I Aped The Veterans When My Rhythm Got Dearailed. The Decibels Coupled With Loud Screams Would Touch The Sky & Gradually Die Out Only To Get More Louder In The Next Beat. We Made Music For One Hour & As We Got Into The Groove We Sang African Tunes.

This Experience Left Us Exhilarated & Exhausted.

Energised In Mind But Devoid Of Bodily Energy!

It Was Time For Mid Night Eat; And It Ought To Be Different!!

We Picked Bade Miyan!

To Me It Was Just  A Famous Road Side Eatery; But To My Friend Even The Thought Of Going There Worked As An ‘Appetizer‘. We Got Into A Taxi, Smelling Full Of Human Sweat And Got On To The Destination Food. The Place Welcomed Us With Pungent Smell Of Cooked Steak & Heavy Barbecue Smoke. Waiters Running Helter-Skelter With Their Badges On To Serve The Starving Customers. People Ordering Food Inside Their Automobiles, BMW’s & Mercs, Many Converting The Bonnet Of Their Car Into A Dinning Table & Few Managed To Get A Chair & Table. The Food Lived Up To It’s Hyped Expectation, Especially The Roti- So Hot & Soft. My Friend Made Savouring Noises Till The Last Bite Of His Meal. Desire Of Munching Best Non-Veg Food Satiated.

On The Way Back We Passed Marine Drive & It Goes Without Saying I Had To Take A Walk & Feel The Midnight Sea Breeze. Alas, There Was No Breeze. The Wild Sea Barricaded By Beautiful & Well Crafted Stones. I Love These Stones- They Make The Whole Thing Look So Tidy & Organized. It Was An Envious Sight- People Relaxing Under The Starry Sky Lying On The Platform & Listening To Their Favourite Music- Some Were Also On Health Walk. Oh God, What A Luxury!!! On A Thursday Night I Found It All Brightly Lit & Quite Crowded. I Wondered Dont These People Have To Catch Up Some Sleep And Struggle In Trains To Go To Work Tomorrow?

 My Friend Remained Glued To The Phone Speaking To His Wife(How Cute!), And I Ambled For Sometime Thinking About The City & It’s Bizarre Pace. Feeling Jealous Of Passers-By Who Seemed To Have Adapted It’s Pace To Leverage This Strategic Indian City Of Mumbai.

Now Came The Last Leg Of Fun. How Could I Come Back Home Without Having A Drive On The Worli-Bandra Sea Link. India’s Shinning Example Of Modern Development-Mumbai’s Makeover. And That Too Around Mid-Night. WOW!

My Expectation Of The Bridge Being Lit-Up & Adorned Was However Dashed. Yet The Whole Drive Thing Was Such A Filmy Experience! We In Santro Or Something (Taxi) Racing Along With Jaguars, BMW’s & Mercs Of The World. Perhaps The Best Time To Put This Hit & Run Killers To Use. They Roared Pass Us Leaving Us Guessing The Coffer Status Of The Owners. I Starred At The Symbol Of Big Cat As Far As I Could. After All I Was Seeing One For The First Time. On The Sides Of The Bridge, I Could See The Black Sea Water Peeping Through The Holes Of Concrete Railings. It Looked Arrogant & Deadly. Me Too .....Not To Be Hit By Those Big Names, I Carefully Peeped Outside The Glass Window To Feel The Speedy Breeze & Gazed Above At India’s Marvel. Indeed An Exotic Sight Of Development.

The Distance Of Around 5 Kms Didnt Take Long To Complete; It AlsoEnded My Selective Mumbai Darshan.

I Have Always Travelled In Mumbai In AC Cabs, This Time Around I Preferred An Auto And A Taxi. And That Made The Difference. The Former Was Touring, The Latter Is Travelling.

To Know The City As It Is Your Eyes Must Be Coordinated With Your Nose, Ears & Mouth.

I Have Liked Mumbai For The First Time & I Now Understand Why Those Who Live Here Cant Live Anywhere Else Despite It’s Odds.

I Am An Atheist Who Believes That God Resides In Me!

In Truth-I Never Searched God, I Just Invariably Believe In His Existence,

I Tacitly Assumed He Dwelled In Shrines & In Those Snow Clad Secluded Mountains. 

Whenever I Confront His Idol, I Feel His Presence In Those Inert But Lively Eyes.

Yes, Visiting Temples Is Pristine, But I Always Feel There Is A Chasm Between Me & Him!

 I Speak To Him… But Is He Really Present Around & Listening To Me?

There Is Never An Instantaneous Sign To Prove That We Are Having A Dialogue. All I Hear Is My Own Voice Of Suspicion.

Over The Years I Grew & Subconsciously So Did This Lacuna Of Faith In Me.

Nevertheless, I Still Continue Bowing Down To Pay Homage To Him & I Even Hum Popular Hymns That Praise Him.

I Read The Epics & Heard About His Life In Folklore.

As A Boil Over I Brand Him As A Super Human Who Trudged The Less Travelled Road. He To Me Is The Initial Tutor of Virtues;

He Who Encountered Life In It’s Naïve Form No Different From Anyone Of Us.

Alike Us He Felt Happy & He Also Felt Sad; Few Roads He Walked Were Royal But There Were Also Times When The Path He Trekked Was Rough & Mystifying!

This Truth Reinforces My Belief That Praying To God Is Not A Way Out Of A Desperate Circumstance;

He Per Se Wasn’t Spared By Nature… ‘The Universe’ From The Chores Of Life.

He However WAS A Paragon Of Faith To Me; An Epitome Which Had A Face!

So My Belief In Him Is ‘Half Baked’.

Now That I Have Saddled Up My Life & Am Experiencing Living It; I Have Learnt To Reason Things. Experience Has Made Me Mull & Rationalize Every Emotion & Action.

I Do Believe In Paranormal & The Fact That Our Universe Is Full Of Diversity & All Of Our Lives Are Connected. And One Thing Leads To Another; All This Fuels My Belief That There Is Indeed Some Kind Of Super Power.

Who Is He & Where Is He…Is One Riddle.

But I Think I Have Found An Answer.

I Have Realized That There Are Two Instances When I Infallibly Feel God’s Presence; So Close That I Am Talking To Him Fearlessly & Without Any Inhibition.

It Happens When I Encounter Pain; It Happens When I Encounter Peace!!

When I Am In Pain; I Seek God,

When I Am At Peace; I Find God!

When I Stand On A Mountain Top, When I Am Relaxing In The Breeze Of Sea…Or When I Praying In A Quiet Temple-  I Can Hear His Voice From Within!

When I Am Shattered & Broken; When I Am Hurt & Helpless; When All The Other Voices Around Die- I Can Hear His Voice From Within!

A Voice So Clear; I Feel It Is The Real Me; One Who Knows Me Just Like How A Mother Would Know Her Child. The Person Within Not Only Knows My Strengths & My Follies, He Also Knows What Is Good & What Is Bad For Me. The Feeling Of His Presence Is So Real & Divine; It Needs No Signs! His Voice Leaves Me Secured & Strong Like Never Before.

“I May Be Physically Alone But I Am Never Really Alone!”

Yes The God Resides In Me; It’s My Spirit; I Just Need To Close My Eyes & Summon Him When I Am At Peace Or In Pain. My Word Is His Command & He Surfaces To Comfort Me & Talk To Me!

Having Said That I Really Can’t Call Myself An Atheist!

Because I Am Atheist Who Believes That God Resides In Me!

If I Want Something I Rather Ask Me,

If My Life Is Going Awry, I Rather Have Faith In Me!!

How I Found My New Home In Ahmedabad.....

Once Upon A Time, There Was A Woman!!!

All Enthused & Perked She Arrived In A New City,

Alas! She Couldn’t Find A Home Even After By Being So Witty!

Oh! How Finicky & Claustrophobic She Was,

If The House Had No Sunlight She Wouldn’t Even Care To Pause,

She Wouldn’t Even Give A Look At Houses Bearing Numbers Four Or Eight,

God Bless The Broker If He Wasted Her Time By Showing Them To Her Using Bait!

At Times She Wouldn’t Even Enter A Building & Simply Give Broker An Angry Gaze,

“Look At This Building & Now Look At Me, You Fool Couldn’t You Gauge!”

She Also Had Some Strict Ideas About The Floor,

If You Live On Top Floors Your Perspective Is Bound To Soar,

Her Balcony Should Invariably Face The West,

Cause That’s Where The Breeze Would Blow The Best,

The House Should Also Comply With All That She Read In A Feng Shui Book,

The Knowhow She Acquired In Her House Maker Days When She Learnt To Cook,

In Her Search For Perfect Abode, She Encountered Landlords So Stubborn & Silly,

No Eating Non-Veg Was Still Fine But Being Single Parent Didn’t Count As A Family!

So In Her Own Home Town Being Alienated, She Almost Felt Like To Regress,

In Her Frustration, She Rubbished Mr. Narendra Modi’s Tall Claims Of Progress!

Just When She Felt The Future Of Finding A Perfect Home Was Not So Bright,

She Passed Through A New Building Giving Her A Ray Of Light!

She Casually Entered Someone’s House,

And Took Permission For A Quick Browse,

She Made Up Her Mind & Instantly In Love She Fell,

“Oh Luck, Please Favor Me, Cause Here Is Where I Want To Dwell”

She Took Help From A Friend & Put Few Brokers On Job,

But Nothing Accrued Even After So Much Of Probe,

Despaired & Dejected She Went On A Stroll,

Getting A Place In That Building Being Still Her Goal,

  

She Spoke With Some Strangers Getting Into That Building,

“Could You Please Help Me In Getting A House Here?

I Am Trying So Hard But Nothing Is Yielding”,

Uncle & Aunty Took Her To Their Daughter’s Residence,

She Still Can’t Believe It Was Such A ‘In The Nick Of Time’ Coincidence!

She Entered The Hall Of House Next Door,

Not Only Was The House Numbered 10, It Was Located On 6^th Floor,

She Was Welcomed By The Sight Of A Beautiful Sunset,

The House Had It All, It Totally Befitted Her Mindset,

But The Deal Was Sealed & The House Was Already Put On Rent,

Next Day It Was To Be Occupied, Leaving Her Anxious…. She Didn’t Know How To Vent,

She Pleaded The Broker To Chuck The Agreement,

As She Had Fallen In Love With The Apartment,

But It Was Too Late & Her Request Was All In Vain,

She Crossed Her Fingers That Her Luck Would Gain,

The Next Day 3 New Tenants Moved In All Happy & Gay,

She Now Firmly Believes A Lot Can Happen In A Day,

To Neighbors Ire One Of The Girls Threw A Birthday Party,

& The Neighbors Threw Them Out Saying We Don’t Want Any Party-Sharty,

That’s When Her Luck Shone,

She Indeed Never Once Thought That The House Was Gone,

So Here Ends My Story Of Searching A Idyllic Place To Live,

‘A Lot Can Happen In A Day’, Is The Message I Want To Give!!!!