Little Glass Folk.

"आधी दादर ला मीटिंग आहे , तिकडून चर्चगेट आणि मग घरी सायन ला  " [I have a meeting at Dadar first, Churchgate from there and then I'll head home to Sion] I'm sure every kid from Pune will have overheard such a conversation at some point of time in their house. These talks fascinated me when I was still a little child. Little did I know that overhearing would turn into experiencing some day.. but it did.
It all began last year, when my admission to IHM Mumbai got confirmed. It was time for another Punekar to live the Mumbai life. This city was just a 3 hour drive from my own city yet everything seemed so foreign when after a lot of tedious searching I finally moved into a flat on Cadel Road. Local trains - the life line of Mumbaikars,an east-west system, concrete beaches, SoBo kids, Bandra talk.. There was so much to see! So much to observe and absorb! For a Punekar, walking a kilometer or two till the station, then travelling by local amidst at least 100 various fragrances of sweat, then again walking for 15 minutes till the final destination is equivalent to climbing Sinhagad. The people here do it every single day. Getting a place to stand in a local train is happiness, a place to sit is bliss and a window seat is heaven! A single bogie will surely have one salesman sweating from every place possible, aged gentlemen with grumpy faces, businessmen with their briefcases, people sleeping(!), a couple oblivious to the million eyes around them and a sprinkle of various other personalities watching latest movies in 240p or trying to level up in Candy Crush or catching up on their WhatsApp messages. It's amusing how every single person has a different point of origin (past), a different final destination (future) than the being standing right next to him and yet they share the moment that actually counts which is the present. It may or may not be the first and the last time they do so but I'm intrigued by the thought. I wonder whether in their busy lives they bother to look at the neighboring traveler and realize that they are a part of something greater than mere sacks of flesh being transported from one place to another.
Staying in Dadar, I simply cannot overlook the importance of one of the most iconic places in Mumbai. Shivaji Park. This massive ground which has seen the rise of many eminent personalities has become a part of my daily routine. In the morning, Shivaji Park and I have a hurried conversation because of time restraints in the morning but eventually we get to catch up after college over a lazed stroll. Just like the fixed variety in a local train, even the walkway around the massive ground will portray the same diversity. (Here we go again..) Large groups of elderly people having discussions over their favourite topics with their usuals, youth contributing to the noise and clicking away selfies, health conscious men and women huffing and puffing their way towards fitness, kids enjoying their evenings out of the house, couples oblivious to the million eyes around them (Yes. Again.) and of course a sprinkle of various other personalities. Evenings at Shivaji Park are an event. It's one of the most fulfilling things after a busy day at college and I'm sure every Shivaji Park regular must be feeling the same way. It's just you or people you really want to be with to end another day of hard work and running around to fulfill responsibilities. The time of the day where you actually have time to sit and breathe and smile.  It's like coming home after a long day and having someone who has stayed up just to have dinner with you and expects nothing in return other than your presence. Shivaji Park is that kind of a person.

"काय मग , मुंबई जास्ती आवडते का पुणे ?"[So? Do you like Mumbai more or Pune?] Every single person who knows that I have shifted to Mumbai to study has asked me this question. It took me some time but I found the perfect answer or rather a perfect return question to this with a proper explanation to go with it. "तुम्हाला आई जास्ती आवडते का बाबा ?" [So, do you like your mother more or your father?] (This reply probably comes from the proper Puneri environment I was brought up in.) I really do love both the cities equally and I cannot choose. Just like parents, each city has it's own exclusive personality and you cannot do without either one. There are some things which Pune has which Mumbai just doesn't and never will and vice versa and that's the best part of it. You get to experience the best of both worlds. The motherly care coupled with the playfulness of your father which combines and creates a beautiful mesh work of love. There is no comparison...
You learn to love Mumbai because Mumbai will love you. This city will make every kitten a cat, every puppy a dog and every boy, a man. Mumbai has shown me that we're just little glass folk in this enormous world and if we aren't strong enough to fend for ourselves, we will eventually break. Mumbai has shown me that every person, no matter how small, will be given opportunities to prove himself, prove his worth to the world and it is entirely up to him/her whether to take that opportunity or watch as life passes you by. This truly is a wonderful city and if someone were to ask me to describe Mumbai in one sentence, it's this : The city of dreams, that never sleeps.