MUMBAI- the city that never sleeps the land of dreams, fast-paced bole toh, AAMCHI MUMBAI. An outsider will treat you with these anecdotes when talking about The Great Mumbai city. But you can’t perceive this vividly urbanised and vibrantly cultured city until you don’t see it the way one common Mumbai-iite sees and feels it every day, every moment. If you ask me, well the story is one chunk of an exploration that has a long way to go.. I’m still halfway and i m possessed!
I was born and brought up in this land of high emotions that are undying and unending, fastened up with a socially and technically high lifestyle! Like every other mumbaikar I wake up to a morning of honking traffic jacketed on pothole-ridden roads. With a cup of coffee on my table, I have to haste through the TOI. And as I see the Netas’ snide comments making headlines ahead the 2014 elections, soaring property rates along with illegalities in the same, and the upped crime rates as compared to yesterday’s newspaper, I’m reminded of the flashy scenes of flooded Mumbai, blazing trains and SWAT-protected prestigious estate of the city. I start to feel the warmness of strange people standing together with slender spark of candles that were enough to lit up the darkest of the hour!
Mumbai is nothing but a culmination of our undying spirits that keep it alive, that keep it growing. July 26th 2005; the day our shanghai was deep drowned in water and with it it was drowning its glory! However, our spirits were high and so were our shoulders. We swam through oceans of drainage, rowed boats of plastic and sailed through the blatant rains! While we anchored our ropes to the harbour of hopes, the silver lining shone amid the dark horizon that brought a new day to Mumbai, bringing it back to life!!
The second bolt of breach was on 11th July 2006; Trains-The lifeline of Mumbai were apathetically bombarded rupturing lives of thousands. While on one hand, this ignition brought a standstill and an apprehension of jeopardy to many souls, the scenario of the next morning was a proud and synergetic lesson to a lot others. Thousands of commuters like every day, fearlessly in exceeding capacities boarded the locals to continue life, bringing Mumbai back in tracks! After all, the show must go on.
And then the battle for survival began on 26th November 2008. Lives were at stake, the city was threatened. Every life beheld itself as it seemed like a nearing end when consecutively blasts were reported in parts of the city. The ceasefire came on 28th November leaving damages to morality of individuals and livelihoods of society.
Mumbai has been smashed, broken and it has emerged, grown and most of all it has changed. From blasts of 93’ to present day, people have evolved into secular, civilized social beings. Fraternity has gained grounds. Youthfulness blossoms the city with fests, flash mobs, drives and campaigns. The awakenings in matters of injustice, the fight for righteousness and deeds of Good have become a trend in the high techno savvy lifestyle!
You will find voices tweeting at 3 am, spirit that keep the city alive, awake, smiling, safe, sound and awesome to live and grow in!
To other side of coin, yes we have potholes overflowing with drain, footpaths that have turned into shortcuts for two-wheelers. Slum development programmes that only stay in newspapers and auto cad blue prints. Tenders keep going around the office and are back to square one.
Not forgetting the havaldars a.k.a mamus, that let us go in the cheapest bargain of infringement of law. So how about this, yeh india hai, yaha sab chalta hai boss!
I am very anticipative about the Metro that had been prolonging commencement since 2008. A while ago, with collars high up, and eyes gleaming in pride I said to a friend from Bengal that metros will begin by 2014 February. He grinned at me back saying that the city of Bengal is the oldest one to have metros! We lag behind other cities in relevance to technology and advancement but if you are going to ask about our spirits we have the ace on our sleeves!
There’s nothing like Mumbai- vada pavs and clogged beaches. We are fast paced, we value time. Festival fervour parades the city in full band baaja! Being a mumbai-kar requires you to be symbiotic. This city has lots to take from you, and lots to give back! I have grown to love this city with all it’s flaw. Every time an individual stands up for an ideal, a tiny ripple of revolution is send out, which forms a storm so ferocious that brings down the mightiest fortification of caste and creed. And so, I see the barriers breaking when we hold hands in human chain, and blaring slogans of our angst. A gush of adrenaline rushes down, and I am reminded that this city is, and will be beautiful and flawless if you are going to it see from the glass of compassion.
Well, my cup is empty and I must make a move. For this city has no place for slow-starters. I am leaving my story here to have another grooving exploration in this city of dreams ! For those, who have another glass to look at just remember,
Zara hatke, zara bachke yeh hai Mumbai meri jaan  !!
WRITTEN BY : Ashita Tukadiya
PUBLISHED BY: Jasneet Sethi
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