Romancing The Maximum City..

It was 2 am when I set my foot in this city for the first time. And, believe it or not, I spotted taxis plying on the streets!!! And no, they were not the lone, scary, one or two sleepy & creepy ones that you spot in other places!! I fell in love with her.

There is something about this city that holds me back. That does not let me return to Kolkata. That makes me miss her when I go there for vacations. The ‘never-say-die’ spirit? The safety I feel here? The big bucks? The romanticism of the Queens Necklace?  I am yet to place my finger on the exact cause. But whatever it is, I am unabashed and totally shameless in displaying my love for this city.

Just look at the monsoons here. The very feel of it is so refreshing. Trains get delayed, I reach office late, there is muck and mud everywhere, yet I wait for the monsoons eagerly. The continuous downpour enthralls me. Just look at the way this city leads a normal life in heavy floods!! Inspiring, I would say.

I simply HAVE to mention the local trains. My essay would not be complete without it. The first day I went to Kurla Station, I was like, “Why the hell is everyone running?? I mean, you get a train every 5 minutes, right?!!” Then, my train came. People spilling out of the compartments!! Will I ever be able to get inside, I thought. Well, believe me, I didn’t have to do anything at all!!The crowd pushed me inside..and got me out at Dadar!! Phew! I survived, I thought. And today, I get up in the morning, and think, “Damn!! I’ll miss my 9:15 local!!” JJJ I run in the platform, I jostle, I push..to get into that particular compartment in that particular train that I avail every day. J J J I love Mumbai. The city has taught me the value of 1 minute. J

And ‘1 square foot’!! Those 3-bhk and sprawling flats & bungalow owners back home, did you ever give this word even the slightest importance when you built that fancy ‘balcony’ in your spare bedroom? No? Then come to Mumbai!! This is a city where you cough up 80 lacs for a 1-bhk flat. Yet, people are buying spaces for themselves. I love this spirit. The first thing that any Mumbaikar will invest in is a space of his own. No matter how small, no matter which location, but his ‘own’. Tell, me, do you not find it romantic? This urge to struggle, to make a mark in a city of billions, it has inspired so many authors to write about Mumbai.

And Marine Drive. Ah!! Go there in the wee hours of morning or during midnight. I assure you, you will rejuvenate yourself. No fancy spas, no oil aroma mumbo jumbo. Just plain air. Plentiful in the lungs. And the sound of waves crashing on the shore. Its amazing!

But the best part of Mumbai is its ability to take every misfortune in its stride. I was in my ninth month of my pregnancy when the recent bomb blasts happened. I had a tough time returning home. Trains were packed. Rumors were spreading fast. There was chaos everywhere. Yet, people helped each other. That day, I did not feel I was alone and stuck in a crisis. It was like the entire city had come together. People helped me getting into the train. Some offered to drop me till home. By the time I reached home, I was exhausted. But, the next day, I packed my bags and set out again. Life did not stop. Not for me, not for my fellow Mumbaikars.

This city is loveable. More so, for its people. The other day, a lady had fallen down in the railway tracks. Every single person in the train was eager to help. The train was stopped, 2 people (not railway officials, mind you) got down in the tracks, brought the lady out, made her sit on the bench and stayed back till her family members arrived. This is an example of solidarity. During my entire 9 months of pregnancy, every single person I have come across has helped me in some way or the other. Some offered me their seats. Some helped me get a taxi. Some have protected my unborn during rush hours in the trains. Rickshaw drivers were eager to ply me to my destination. Some, if nothing, had given me just a warm smile, acknowledging my physical discomfort.

It has been almost 4 years since I moved into this city. And every single day, my love is growing in leaps and bounds. And so is the mystery. Why do I love this city? Perhaps, for the same reasons that a bird would love the sky. Or is it something else…I am yet to figure out.  

THE NEW MOTHER GOING TO WORK!!

She was very excited that evening. She was about to join office after a 3-month long maternity break. Yes, I know it sounds improper. Some may even call it crude. You are not expected to be happy when you are leaving a 2-month old behind. You should be guilty all over, teary-eyed, and bear the expression of someone who has just been caught red-handed slaughtering his dear one. But how could she deny the feelings that welled up inside her? 

Just because her husband’s earnings are decent, she should sit back at home and ‘enjoy the motherhood’? She had been hearing it right from the time she had conceived. How can she explain it to others (mostly housewives who have never seen the insides of their office in their entire lives) that work means a lot more to her than just bread & butter?  It is a part of her existence, her very being. These 9 months of sickness, the gruesome childbirth, the physical & emotional mayhem that followed, all of it was too much for her to handle. She desperately needed a breathing space. She wanted to return to normalcy. What wrong did she commit if she asked for a few hours of respite?

She confided in her mother, only to be chided for even bearing such thoughts in mind. How could she!!! Her mother never had such thoughts. Her grandmother never had such thoughts. Is she something different? She should be ashamed of herself!!

Her dilemma increased even more.  The excitement in her heart finally gave way to guilt! She tossed & turned on her bed the whole night. Every time she would look at her sleeping child, a lump would form at her throat. What grave injustice was the child being subject to, just because the mother wanted to fulfill her own ambition?! She fought with her inner self. Having a child makes a woman complete, yes. But then, so does her profession. Motherhood is a beautiful experience, no doubt. But, she is not JUST a mother and a wife. Her identity comprises of who she is at her workplace as well. But then, right now, her child needs her more than anybody else. Should she take a break? Will she be able to cope up on the professional front after she returns back? Forget that, will anybody even GIVE her a job when she decides to return? 2 years is enough for the entire technology to change. At home, she at least has her mother to take care of the baby. She knows that her baby will be in safe hands and get the utmost love & affection.  And, she is not the only one in this universe who decided to start work immediately after the maternity break. After all, so many crèches and daycare centers are not running at a loss, are they?!

She hated it the most when people said that her husband was capable enough to take care of her & the child. She failed to understand the relation between her husband’s salary and her profession. Just because he IS capable of taking care of her does not mean he HAS to take care of her right? And, who on earth has defined ‘take care’ as bringing home a salary????? 

She made up her mind. She will rejoin office with full gusto. After all, if she curbs her desire today, how will she be able to teach her daughter to live life on her own terms? How will she give her daughter the freedom, the values, when she herself doe not assert them? She has taken a decision. And she will stand by it.