So much for the city

The best city in the world :)

really

senti

senti

I was born here, most of my childhood, till puberty, was confined to Bandra east government colony, got my education from almost a municiple school, or worse :) Came to know exactly what equality meant, independant of cast, religion, fortune everything :)

15 monotonous years personally, had bomb blasts, a riot, bandh, ganpati drinking milk, floods, was part of every one of them atleast to some extent.

Riot: happened in front of the building, watched people whom you know die, kill people whom you don't know, from small windows, without permission, without telling parents, with curiosity, fear. Wasn't old enough to understand that dead is more than just lack of movements. Couldn't understant why my parents couldn't sleep worrying about our neighbours, Mostly for us, it was equivalent to a very long vacation, so kind of enjoyed staying home. A few complicated english words were added to my vernacular vocabulary like curfew, casualties.

Bomb blasts: though happened mostly in south bombay, some aquaintances died, some got injuried, some just got very very much scared for the rest of their lives.

Bandh: A favourite feature for bombay, one of its signatures, first only Shivsena had the 'aukat' to do successful bandhs, now every chillar party does :) Bandhs are better, since there is no curfew, not much of a tension, they happen for reasons unknown and unimportant, so that you can even go out and play the whole day which is unlikely in a riot.

Floods: Whenever it rains in bombay, bandra gets the worst, it's build up on the reclaimed land, so water doesn't go anywhere, it just stays there, for days, weeks, months :) in 1993 if I remember correctly, bombay had the infinite showers which is now second highest (last year was the highest). Again, no school, TV etc etc :)

Couldn't then realised that, though all of it manifested in basically enjoyment and no school, it meant a lot.

Then we moved to pune, the city of brahmin people, first day at school, was asked cast, sub cast sub sub cast whatever, friend circles were largly cast based, with encouragement from parents to a large extent. Was kind of disgusting but managed. Mostly studied for 4 years in pune. Didn't like it much, too conjusted, too much into itself, mental blocks blah blah.

Then came to bombay in my first year, started going out in second year. It actually never sleeps, it wins in that competition with you, at any hour, you can find food, booze, lukkha, music whatever :) due to lack of expression, I cannot write, but those who have been staying here for the last 4 years, would exactly know what I mean :) If you don't I am really really sorry for you, if you feel that some place else is better than here, I must say you are wrong :D

I could just mention the stuff factually and it takes me high,

airport, lake, coffee, five stars, sea, mocha, maddu, mani's, red roses at 5 in the morning, jerbera at 3 in the night, railway, bus, rikshaw, vt, flora fountain, panipuri, hn, naturals, vashi, palm beach road, malls, movies, strand, bandra, malabar hill, barista, ccd, long drives, traffic jams...

And now time has come to leave the place. People would say this just because of the people around you and not the city. But trust me, she has a part to play and incredibly a finite one.

That day, in the zero/parikrama concert, the artists were thanking the city for all that she gave them, just imagine yourself there, think of for what you should thank her, then you would know :)

I am senti, this is injustice to the place since I suck at words, but my bit :)

Purushottam