A Tale of Three Cities

On 18th August 2012, from Hazrat Nizammudin Station, along with some college buddies, I had started a new journey, away from the city I love to call my birthplace and hometown.. 

Three hundred and sixty five days gone..And I still remember everything like it happened yesterday..I still remember how my parents were anxious and worried, I still remember the endless packing, I still remember our gossip sessions, smiles and tears throughout the train ride.. I remember every damn emotion associated with the commencement of this new phase.

Now when I think of writing a flashback post, trust me, its really hard for me to decide where to begin from.. One year, two completely different jobs in two different cities, independent life away from home, new people, life lessons, what not..

I used to feel that every time one retrospects, the pattern remains the same, the flashback is all about changes, about people coming into and going out of your life, experiences and turning points,smiles and tears..But this is for the first time that I realized how much your life changes just because you shift a few hundred kilometers, as and when you come to a new city! And both fortunately and unfortunately, I have seen such changes twice in the last 12 months..I dedicate this post to the three cities I have lived in - Delhi, Pune and Mumbai..

Dear Pune, I simply love you! 

I don't know how to put this into words, but there is a feel good factor about this city that words can't describe..I may be biased for whenever I was in Pune, I was happy, I was calm, I was free.. 

Coming from a city like Delhi, I tasted freedom and safety for the first time in Maharashtra, I fell in love with the weather, I admired the simplicity, I respected the people there..

Right from learning Marathi to doing household chores, right from fun with office colleagues to movies with my roomie, everything was fun.. I saw happiness in the smallest of things! 

I still remember how I used to call the flat where I stayed "my second home"..

The best thing about this place is that it gives you a balance, where life is not 'fast', where you neither run nor escape, where you simply live!!

Yes, I always missed Delhi, but I feel like thanking this city for memories I will always cherish, for four months of sheer peace and happiness and a sense of real freedom! 

Dear Mumbai, the love-hate relationship continues....

Mumbai fascinates me, intrigues me, amazes me everyday..

It has been 8 months in Mumbai now, but the weird feeling that I share a love-hate relationship with this city, does not seem to fade away at all..

I still find it hard to believe that I can roam around freely at 12 AM and nobody gives a damn, I am enjoying every bit of the night life of the city that never sleeps and I simply love that!
But its ironical how the so called glamorous city with tall buildings and beaches totally sucks as far as infrastructure is concerned..Stinking roads, filthy slums, crowded areas everywhere and travelling becomes a real pain..I swear I hate that more than anything else!
Cliched though it may sound, but life here is actually fast! You don't really get the time to understand, think or realize why you don't have time..This city inculcates in you a weird tendency to be emotional yet indifferent..You start dreaming big, but you learn how to detach yourself from attachments rather quickly, you learn how to keep walking, keep moving ahead, yet, there is something that makes your life melancholic, tired and restless..

But then, you visit Marine Drive, you feel the sea breeze, you observe the sea waves and you smile continuously! Your restless mind discovers peace, your impatient heart feels calm and relaxed.. You are blessed with an amalgamation of tranquility and exhilaration and I love that feeling beyond words!

I saw the worst of myself in Mumbai, it was un-Sonia-ish-ness at its peak in my words..But then, Mumbai gave me people who always loved me, who chose to stand by me even when I was at my worst..

I still happen to be a part of the crowd living in this city and I am continuously exploring it..Mumbai has been challenging so far, but it makes me feel proud all the same!
Back to back blogs dedicated to Mumbai, coming soon!

Dear Delhi, all I have to say is that..

It does not matter where I go or what I do, it does not matter how many years pass by, I hate it when people associate me to any caste/religion/language/community, but I call myself a Delhite, I belong to Delhi... Speaking directly Dil Se, my heart belongs to places inside Delhi, and that's the reason why I call it "Dilli Meri Jaan"

Somewhere close to the Kashmere Gate Campus where I had spent four unforgettable years of my college life, somewhere close to its classrooms and walls where I used to laugh out loud and gossip..

Somewhere close to the Metro Stations and somewhere inside the Metro trains..

Somewhere close to the roads of Rajiv Chowk where I used to hang out with friends..

Somewhere close to the tranquility of Bangla Sahib..

Somewhere close to the delicious Gol Gappe, Tikki and Chhole Bhatoore you won't find in any other city in India..

And of course, somewhere close to the place I call my home, with my mom and dad..

Yes, my heart belongs to you !! 

Next Blog soon!

Wishing myself a happy 'Life in Maharashtra' anniversary!

Cheers!!!

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Mumbai Weekends : Marine Drive!!

Wake Up Sid, one of my favorite movies, ends with a beautiful song, boondon ke motiyon mein ghul ke ehsaas aaya, waqt se nikal ke lamha dil ke paas aaya..I have lost the count of the number of times I have watched that scene on youtube, but whenever I think of writing a blog about Mumbai, I tend to recall these lines from Konkana Sen's article, 'New Girl in the City', "jo bhi likhti, lagta ki kuchh kam hai, iss sheher ke bare mei aisa kya keh sakti thi jo pehle nahi kaha gaya" ..for now I can relate to these lines completely.. Right from its beaches to its people, right from its tall buildings to slums, right from its glamour to its lifestyle, there is so much about this city that evokes and arouses the observer, the philosopher, the day dreamer and above all the writer in you, that I simply could not put an end to it in just one article..And, hereby, after a hopelessly long phase without blogs, I am back with a series : Mumbai Weekends!!

Everyone here talks of a so-called fast life, where people fail to find time for themselves, time for their family, time to interact with their neighbors, but even with this fast life, you might not realize but you would always have time to think of your problems..So when you are fed up of your job or your boss, when you are heartbroken after a breakup, when you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, or simply need a break from your monotonous life, there is just one place that offers you incredible peace..and that is the subject of the very first blog of the series- Marine Drive.

You will find hundreds of articles describing the place, but you won't find any wiki-google-ish article here, I know nothing about its location or its history, for me, Marine Drive is all about desire, tranquility, ecstasy, love, happiness, freedom, inspiration, fantasies, romance and much more !!

You may stride along the beautiful walkway, you may simply sit and keep on looking at the waves, the rocks, the tall buildings, the enthralling scenic beauty of the palm trees, the heavenly breeze and the amazing view of the horizon which seems totally mesmerizing when the sun sets!
At night, the street lights on the C-shaped road look like a string of pearls and diamonds, popularly known as the 'Queen's necklace'

When you sit on the wall and look at the sea waves hitting the rocks, when you are walking along the promenade and the breeze caresses your hair, even when you are surrounded by so many people, you feel lost for you forget everything else and you tend to enjoy being free, emancipated from all inhibitions and apprehensions, all cobwebs of negative thoughts that preoccupy your mind, which are replaced by the feeling of letting yourself go, getting high !!
Your romantic side turns on when you come to this place, perhaps it is the most suitable place for going out for a date, or for simply sitting and talking to someone, or for day dreaming and fantasizing !!

You will always find a lot of couples there, couples with their public displays of affection, groups of friends clicking pictures, old couples sitting and talking, kids jumping around and people like me, sitting and smiling, enjoying the breeze, the freedom, the feeling that can't be put in words..

One may say that I take it as a medium to escape, but sometimes its better to take a break, when the past and the future becomes unimportant.. Perhaps everyone deserves someone like Marine Drive, someone who can make you feel free, someone who can make you forget everything for a while, someone who won't walk away, would always be there, would always stay, for you...
Such places and such people, aren't about escapism, they are about spending time with yourself, being happy and looking forward to life, for it happens to be beautiful, as beautiful as Marine Drive is!
Whenever I tend to forget this, I just walk around this place, and it get the same feeling again.. life is as beautiful as this place!

Cheers !!

Mumbai weekends always have something interesting to offer, next blog from the series from a hard core Delhite trying to explore the city that never sleeps, coming soon!

Sonia

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