Mumbai is the city of dreams for many who come to this city in the hope of realizing and fulfilling aspirations. But for those who are born and brought up in Mumbai its nothing less than a part of their DNA. Once a Mumbaikar, always one.
Mumbai has a lot to offer – great public transport, high rise buildings, beaches, gardens, jobs and career, malls, etc. However it’s the life in Mumbai which makes it worth. The life in Mumbai is very different and one realizes this the moment one steps out of Mumbai. The normal cutting tea or a simple sandwich or snack takes ages to come elsewhere and we say, ‘yaar, this doesn’t happen in Mumbai’ or if one gets irritated or frustrated at a waiter for delayed service others would promptly say, ‘yeh Mumbai nahi hai’.
The easy availability of locals, rickshaws and buses in Mumbai has spoilt our habit and in fact has pampered us all. Enjoying the rains at Marine drive or Bandstand is a part of every Mumbaikars life but what we can never forget is the floods which rocked our city. What we can also never forget is the 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings which affected us all. We bravely fought both the natural as well as man-made disaster.
Being a Mumbaikar by default reduces one’s patience and gets a lot of rush and speed in one’s life. Every festival brings the clamor of relatives and friends since festivities lack celebration without them. Every festival is each ones with no bar for religion and caste. No problem is faced alone by a Mumbaikar since neighbors are always there. Weekends are rejoiced like there is no tomorrow. Movies are a regular for Mumbaikars.
There is a lot more to Mumbai and the lives of people in Mumbai than any words can ever express but the most striking feature of a Mumbaikar is that, he/she doesn’t know how to stop, doesn’t mourn, doesn’t know how to fail… all a Mumbaikar knows is that day after day he/she has to get up, rise, smile and succeed because Mumbai doesn’t sleep.
–Â Â Â Anjani M Nautiyal
Could’nt have put it better..