My Mumbai Episode – A life chapter

Origin Story: This is a personal account of my experience of life in Mumbai. I had posted this online as a Facebook Note in July 2011 when I was moving out of Mumbai. Years later, I decided to dig this out from the ocean of social media posts and ‘preserve'(!) it on this blog platform! 🙂

October, 1995: Never Ever!

Mumbai – the city of dreams – as is projected in almost every Bollywood movie, did not leave any remarkable impression on me during my first ever visit to the city. Long hours in traffic, dirty slum areas, expensive apparels – all these seemed boring to the little girl in me. Our 3 nights’ stay in the city was part of a bigger 3 weeks long family vacation which included stays in more exciting and beautiful places like Goa and Ooty. Mumbai stayed in my heart as ‘just another big city’ where I would never want to settle down.

July 6th, 2008: Mumbai Calling!

The school-kid of 1995 has grown up to a lady, with a job offer in hand, with joining in Mumbai. A thundering mix of emotions was running through my nerves.

I was excited that I was going to join my first job. I was excited about the perfect start to the realizations of my ambitions. I was happy that I would be in the same city as where my boyfriend got his first job posting in. But I was sad that I was going to stay away from my parents, my brother and my Buzo (our pet Daschund) for the first time ever in my life. I was sad that I had to go away from all my family members and all my friends. I was sad that I was leaving behind MY city, Kolkata, rightly called the City of Joy, for a life in Mumbai, a city which I did not quite like during my first encounter with it.

As I bid good bye to my family, we could neither laugh nor cry. We exchanged smiles and words of assurance. But we were sure that this change was for the better – and we looked at the positive aspects of this change. I boarded the flight, and throughout the 2hours 40mins flight, multiple thoughts – aspirations, ambitions, emotions – kept zigzagging through my mind and my heart. Finally I landed in Mumbai – the city of dreams – as is projected in almost every Bollywood movie.

July 19th, 2011: Mumbai is my favorite city!

3 years and 13 days in Mumbai, and now it is time to bid good bye! As I leave the city for another new innings in my life, I cannot stop thinking how amazing my stay in Mumbai has been.

The corporate journey

At my first job, I was fortunate to be a part of a team full of enthusiasts, who were game for any plan – movies, lunch, travels. The bonding was so strong that I never felt the pain of living away from home. We used to plan every little celebration with warmth and care, be it Birthdays or festivals like Diwali and Holi. Professionally as well, the experience there contributed a lot to my growth and development and I left the organization as a more confident professional. And of course, during my tenure there I made some very good friends – friends for life I guess!!

The vibrant Marathi culture

I loved to observe the Maharashtrian culture from so close and felt myself to be a part of it. I enjoyed every Marathi festival from Gudi Padwa to Ganesh Chaturthi and how the people celebrate these. The Ganpati festival in Mumbai may not be as spectacular as the Durga Puja in Kolkata, in terms of grandeur scale. But, I found the people in Mumbai having the same passion while shouting “Ganpati Bappa Mouriya” during Ganpati Visarjan as the people in Kolkata while shouting “Durga Maa ki Jai” during Durga Visarjan. Both the Marathis and the Bengalis share a taste in art, music and literature. I could always relate to the Marathi culture and enjoyed every bit of it.

Travels around Mumbai

Staying in Mumbai gave me the opportunity to explore some beautiful places. The green hills of Lonavala and Khandala during monsoon, the amazing rope-way ride to the Raigad fort on the hill-top amidst the clouds, the exciting trek from Neral to Matheran and the red soil there, the beautiful Ganapatipule beach, quick getaways at Alibaug, Kashid, Kihim beaches – every place has something to offer to the traveler. And to add to the list of travel destinations, Goa is the icing on the cake – with a cherry on top (the wedding anniversary vacation).

Experience Mumbai – the local way!

Mumbai – the city itself has plenty to offer. One can spend an entire evening sitting at the Marine Drive observing the sky change its colours, and the Mumbai skyline provides the perfect backdrop to it. The shopping deals at Linking Road and Fashion Street would attract any Fashionista’s attention (one should not expect durability though). The Sanjay Gandhi National Park right inside the city is a treat to any nature lover. The city attains its peak beauty during the monsoons. Grab a combo of ‘vada pav aur cutting chai’ for some soothing warmth as you get drenched in the rain.

One can commute freely in Mumbai at any time of the day or at the night even! Mumbai offers this flexibility that probably no other city in India can offer. Commuting reminded me – standing on the footboard of a crowded local train feeling the wind brushing your face – is an experience by itself. The city accommodates more than a million people running (read commuting) daily and working hard for a livelihood. But Mumbaikars do not complain. People are passionate about work, and they enjoy their weekends and holidays to the fullest. Here, you will find people easily shelling out more than 1 lac rupees for a Cricket World Cup final ticket; as well you will find people struggling to earn a day’s living. Mumbai is home to all!

Spirit of Mumbai

Though much has been talked about the ‘Spirit of Mumbai’ (particularly after the recent terror attacks), I feel the account of my Mumbai episode would be incomplete without a mention of the famous ‘Spirit’. It was only fourth month of my stay in Mumbai, when the city experienced probably the worst terror attack ever on 26/11/2008. But I was amazed how even something of that degree could not paralyze the city. Mumbaikars do extend their hands of help during crises, but they can never compensate for an innocent life lost. Mumbaikars do have hearts in their right places but they know that the city coming to a standstill is not a solution. Mumbaikars obviously don’t like being victims time and again, but they moved on in the hope of a better tomorrow.

Mumbai without the tinted glass

I know that not everything about Mumbai is perfect. The city has its own share of woes. It has its political problems (like every other Indian city). The amazing rains come with slow traffic. Being home to all creates this huge income inequality which can never be erased. Though Mumbai is safe as compared to some of its other counterparts, the place is not 100% crime-free. It is the same place where begging is also part of a bigger business. Though the police and ATS fought valiantly during the 26/11/2008 attack, they failed to protect the Mumbaikars against yet another attack. In less than 3 year’s time. The hope of a better tomorrow was destroyed once again!

Life in Mumbai

With all the positives and the negatives, I would say living in Mumbai is a far more rich experience than what is showed in most of the Bollywood movies. Gangsters, underworld dons, violent criminal cases, terrorism, smuggling, aspiring actors falling for wrong traps – a life in Mumbai is beyond all these. Living in Mumbai is a phenomenon. One needs to experience it to understand it. And the soul of Mumbai is Mumbaikars, who are indeed warm at heart.

I, personally, had a great 3 years of stay in the city. It helped me evolve as a person. It gave me some great managers and some wonderful friends. It allowed me to come across some genuinely nice people. It gave me an amazing first year of marriage. It gave me the opportunities that made my parents proud. Mumbai gave me the opportunity to spread my wings and soar high. Today Mumbai is my favourite city – where I would love to return to!

As I embark on another new journey, again a mix of emotions is running through my nerves. As the excitement of another new beginning and the nostalgia of my Mumbai days fight for space in my mind, I sign off with a heavy heart!