Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Zara Hatke, Zara Bachke.. yeh hai..

It is said of Mumbai that it is the city that never sleeps. True. Mumbai is the city of dreams. True. Mumbai is the city of heartbreak. True. Mumbai is the city of survival, true. Dreams break, hopes crash, faith dwindles and then a ray of light shines… a stranger lends a helping hand, a small gesture by someone near, a glimmer of light and then we’re up again - hope and faith rekindled, we’re back on our feet, ready to face the battle again… to swim into the sea of people and cling on to the handle of a train and make it to work in one piece.

Life is too fast paced and time is measured in terms of amount or revenue generated per minute- there’s simply no time to waste. And that’s the price we pay - time. We’re all so swept up in work and spending most of our time commuting that there’s no “ME” time. I think this phenomenon is fast spreading to other metros as well… people just don’t have time for themselves, their families or their bodies.

That said, Mumbai is a city that reverberates with the heartbeat of the millions of Mumbaikars, with their undying spirit and enthusiasm. Festivals and Religious beliefs are celebrated with aggressive enthusiasm, fasts are observed in spite of hectic schedules, Ganesh and Diwali are observed with fervent prayers and unshakable faith.

Lovers must love Mumbai I'm sure! PDA’s are a strict no-no, yet they find some isolated Nana Nani park or rock on Bandstand or behind an umbrella on Marine Drive to spend those precious moments together… where beggars, policemen and hawkers are considered but a small obstacle.

You don’t need lots of money or financial backing to succeed in Mumbai. This of course is limited to your definition of success, but all you need is steadfast dedication, ambition, relentless determination and ability to use the resources available to you. Mucchad Paanwala is a small corner street Paanwala who is now world famous. K Rustoms is a decrepit looking store next to Churchgate station selling ice creams for decades. Some of the best Bhel Puri and Vada Pav wala’s in Mumbai are small little stands, who people visit from all over Mumbai.

Noisy, dirty, cramped and overpopulated it may be, Mumbai is my city and I LOVE it. For the people who hold your hand whilst your running to get into a train, for the beggar who stops and helps you stand up when you trip, for the little kid in the train selling you rubber bands, for the thousands of people who took unknown people in their homes on 9/11, for all of us who weather heavy rain and horrid sun to make it to work everyday, for the B.E.S.T. bus conductors who inform you in advance when your stop is expected, for the Mamu’s you pay when you get caught breaking a signal, for the never-say-die attitude, for marine drive and sea walks and the rain and Jumbo king Pav and Esselworld and blink-and-you’ll-miss-em winters and for never ending BMC squabbles and what not. I love Mumbai.

14 comments:

vs said...

:)
What I would give to ride to Churchgate during rush hour on the local train.

I miss home.

Serendipity said...

Hi Jack!

Lol. some people would think your nuts saynig that, you do know that dont you?

Mystique said...

yea i miss mumbai too....
i don't even live there permanently, im an nri who goes there vacationing (my extended family lives there) every year....
and i love it....
damn. two more years of school b4 i can finally start studying there.

Abhishek said...

Miss Mumbai too... Especially the way the city smells in the rain..It rained somewhat like that here and I was trying to find the same fragrance in the soil... :(.... The only place I can be at which is close to what Mumbai is, is NYC. Feels so much at home...The fast paced life and the packed subway remind me of the local trains and the journey standing at the door!!!! Aamchi Mumbai!!!

Anonymous said...

Alright , I have never spend my life in Mumbai but still it does make me eligible to comment upon..right ?

I have had many a visits there. Guess people who are used to mumbai can not be happy else where. There some kind of attraction about Mumbai; city of dreams. I was amazed by the spirit of Mumbaikar during Bomb Blast. Man it is only its own kinda city which can stand up and run as before on its own. Hats off ;)

RD survery said Mumbai tops in being Rude city but I totally disagree. Love you mumbai :)

Serendipity said...

@ Mystique- Hi! Lets catch up when you do actually make it here! :)

@ Abhishek - NYC, NAH. Mumbai is in the people who make her Mumbai.

@ SS- Course you do! Mumbai lovers are always welcome. and about the rudeness bit - survival is the keyword here, and rudeness just a vent. we are also very very helpful.. specially to visiting Bangaloreans :):)

Dusty Fog said...

hhmmnn.....!!!!

Anonymous said...

@S : Awww thats Sweet :) Guess marathi bangloreans are most welocome ?
kaay mhantes ? :))

p.S : the cover for feast of roses looks awesome !!

Serendipity said...

wowie! Marathi bangalorean! Marathi Mumbaikar at your service ma'am. kashi ahes :):)

And abt feast of roses - you MUST read the book!!!! i LOOOOVE it.

Anonymous said...

me totally majet :) tu saang !!
btw these books fest of roses and the twentytth wife are sequels right ?

can we understand them if read induvidually ?

Abhishek said...

Agreed its the people that make Mumbai the place it is...but then when you are here... the closest you feel at home...at being in Mumbai is NYC... You have to have the kathi rolls at Times Square to make u remember the times at Bade Miyas and Ayubs.... You gotta walk lexington Ave to know how its a mini india there where you get Indian Chinese... It jus feels soo good...Thousands of miles away and still feels close to home... Mumbai can never be replaced but its kinda imitation of our city...mebbe sister city :)

Nitin Bhandari said...

i think the first line of the very famous song that u choose for ur title says it all ....
"Ae dil hain mushkil jeena Yahan... Zara hat ke , Zara bach ke . ye hain bambai meri jaan"..

it is precisely that ... a glorified , glamorous city .... it is dificult to live here ... and if u have lived all ur life here .. u wont even noticed what life u have missed

Serendipity said...

Isnt that true of living anywhere?
There's always that room to learn and grow with myriad experiences we get from where we live, how we live and how we adapt.

Its just that the choice is ours. I think a person can travel the whole world and still have a narrow vision...

Zaid Farooqui said...

"...Mucchad Paanwala is a small corner street Paanwala who is now world famous."

I stumbled upon your blog accidentally while googling Zara Hatke Zara Bachke.

Kudos for carrying over the Bombaiya Hindi to your writing. It always makes me chuckle and remember the good times.

I'm waiting for the day my Hindi professor could accept "tapak gaya" as a synonym for dead.