Because Bombay is an emotion!

 Just recently I came across a picture that said – Bombay because, Mumbai is a city and Bombay is an emotion. The words reverberated in my ears and I could identify with it completely, wholeheartedly. For me, there may be a thousand name changes for this city, but Bombay will remain Bombay for what it represents, for what it is made of, for what is it. And it’s not because I was born in Bombay, but because Bombay is infectious. Once you have lived here, you will love it. The city and its people exude warmth which is difficult to find anywhere else. Each city has its pros and cons. There are many reasons not to like Bombay, but those reasons are always outnumbered by the number of reasons why you would like Bombay. They city that houses Bollywood, the commercial capital of India, the city where more dreams are realised than any other city in the country… ye hai Bombay meri jaan.

Though I have moved out of Bombay some time back, the memories of my city never move out of my head. There isn’t a single day when I don’t think about it and my life there, especially certain things; like driving around in Mumbai. The drive in Mumbai used to be very smooth when I started driving; but that was almost over a decade back. Like is the case everywhere, things have changed a lot and it has become seemingly difficult to drive with a cool head in Bombay; because of the sheer growth in the number of cars and the traffic congestion. Sometimes it does get difficult to time yourself to reach a certain place and it is always better to leave a bit early to avoid getting late. Having said that, driving is still a pleasurable experience in Bombay in places like Marine Drive, Bandra, the Eastern express highway and the freeway. A lot also depends upon the car you are driving. During traffic hours it is always better to drive a smaller vehicle like one of the Tata cars, to make life smoother, easier and simpler!

RelatedPosts

Home Away From Home

May 23, 2020

Mumbai to Amritsar via Dilli – The Frightening Flight

May 23, 2020

The city of Bombay is made up of seven islands, so I don’t think there was ever a concept of design at the time the city was formed. Yet, there is so much character and depth that one finds in Bombay. A lot of it is due to the beach and waters. Water brings a sense of calm and hence even if one is stuck in traffic in Marine Drive it doesn’t hurt too much. The default design of Bombay is beautiful though it was never really planned like a few new cities in India. Things are changing rapidly now and the slums and old dwellings are giving way to skyscrapers and new concepts of living and life is surely getting better than before.

But what makes Bombay the true city of Gold is the connect that the city has with its people. Whether you talk about the local trains that connect the entire city or the game of cricket that makes the whole city go wild or simply the people who appear in a minute if something disrupts the way in which the city is supposed to function, life in Bombay is a thrill on its own. It is the people of Bombay who make the city what it is. It may not be your city but it easily becomes your kind of city because Bombay has something to offer to everyone. It is truly a city #madeofgreat!