Mumbai Meri Jaan!

An acquaintance and financial advisor of mine visited us yesterday. We discussed how irrespective of the beauty of different places across the world, the warmth of India especially Mumbai is incomparable. I realised whilst discussing with her, how much I still love this city despite the overloaded infrastructure, the traffic jams, the crowded trains and some of the state's politicians, who least bother about the people but preach about culture and their attempt to change the names of places, whilst the city's water pipes built by the so called despicable British Empire is still not replaced or repaired adding to the mumbaiites woes. I am digressing from the topic, since my complaints about politicians or their inefficiencies could possibly run into volumes of books. Mumbai has a charm that cannot be expressed but can only be experienced. I have known numerous people including my parents and in-laws who promise that they will leave this city and go back to their respective home towns when they retire. It is almost a decade since they have retired and their promises like that of the politicians remain just that. One cannot think of staying anywhere even in India leaving this terrific city. When I started my career some twenty years back, the city was new to me and taking up a sales job meant travelling across the city. I had no clue how to visit my clients (which were schools, colleges and university libraries). But the mumbaiites especially ubiquitous rickshaw drivers were ever helpful. There are stories of how indifferent the mumbaiites are and how you dont even know your neighbours. Paradoxically, i have seen friends who stay in chawls are so close to their neighbours that they refuse to shift to more spacious flats or accomodation purely because of the love and warmth of their neighbours. This city has given me most happiness, whether it is the joy of my first job, or of making my friends some of whom are the closest, or of meeting my wife or walking along the sea beaches or just welcoming the elephant God, everything about this city is special. What I like the best about this place is that irrespective of the caste, creed or religion, the city's residents stick to each other in times of need and dont care two hoots to the politicians who tries to divide us.