Mumbai

Every new city you visit is exciting ,new people to meet,new language to learn,new cuisines to try out and new places to shop in.Mumbai is of course the piece de resistance. eulogised in thousands of movies,the city of Mahalakshmi,of Sachin Tendulkar,of the underworld,of Kamathipura,of dharavi,of Ambanis,of Bollywood and ..of Dalal Street. Its a city with a long and often stark history,the Indian city of dreams,of glamour,of crime but last of all as I have come to realize of life itself.Many people are excited by the clubbing,the places to hang out ,the binging and the thrills of Mumbai.the outward sheen.But the city reminds me of a spider constantly spinning the web,unmindful of anything else,untiring to earn out a living. The city embodies the struggle to earn a livelihood, From the hawkers and beggars on the roadside,to the swank bankers I see everyday to the funky artistes who roam about with a camera or a book, everyone traveling his own trajectory. Their only common link being the ity itself. Its often the silent player giving you enough and more to keep you happy but as I suspect stopping short of making you feel contented.Its the city of largess too. Yet its the most beautiful city I have seen. I am not here speaking of Marine drive or the Bandra Worli sea link ,thats beautiful yes but its a beauty thats not visible but one that sinks in. From the buffaloes that roam,to the sheer montrosity of dharavi to the old world charm of the Fort area to the poshness of Nariman theres an irony and like a perfectly designed mosaic they all fall into place to paint the most beautiful canvas I have seen.
Mumbai is the common man’s love,she’s the artiste’s muse ,the hawker’s chai and to me she’s a toast to life.The spirit of the city is what makes it stand out and you dont need your clubs,bars,restuarants and shopping malls for that.I suspect even without them she’ll just do as fine .