The Spirit of Mumbai
There are a hundred thousand articles written about this city in the past. And yet, words fell short to explain the feeling you get while standing in the middle of the overhead bridge at Dadar station.
I have spent the last 4 months away from the city. And four months before that, away from this spirit of the city. Several times, the time away took me back to August 13, 2013, my first day as a citizen of Mumbai.
I remember seeing in movies, how this city would be the most difficult place to settle in. You will be standing at the railway station and someone would steal your wallet from right under your nose. How you would be thugged by shopkeepers into buying cheap stuff for huge prices.
But when I came here, I felt safe. Safer than I had ever before. Of course, sometimes I questioned the safety, but the fact that I can count on my fingers the number of times it happened in the last 7 years speaks a lot for itself.
You see, when I came in, I never felt foreign. This is the thing, right? You may or may not own this city, but the city will own you up. It will grow on to you, and before you even know it, you will be craving a Vada pav every weekend.
This weekend, I visited this spirit after 8 long months. The local train. The people running across stations to catch their train. The ladies pushing each other to get into the ladies' coach of the train. Only a true Mumbaikar can adore that shit.
Mumbai has always taught me that life doesn’t stop for anyone. And yet, when someone meets with an accident, at least 50 people gather them. Some yelling at them for my carelessness, and some offering a kerchief to cover the wound.
When lockdown happened, suddenly life did stop. Barren stations, still trains, we saw a city that we were never used to seeing. Reminds me that just not us, even the city needs a breather.
But what we do need to remember is, every breather must end. Once you have taken that breather, you should be ready to bounce back on your feet to get up and get going.
Such is the spirit of this beautiful city. While there are many lessons to learn in its always on-the-go spirit, it teaches you something even in its stillness. Such is Mumbai. Not to mention, love is Mumbai!
