India - My Life within and without

So S. gave me topic for the day - Visit to Mumbai.....

Oh well, Visit to Mumbai...hmmm...When the very first time I landed from Rajdhani Express at Central station of Bombay, it was crowded & stinky. I was happy to see crowded station, full of excitement, full of people & kind of happening place...!!!

I was new to Bombay, a friend of a friend came to pick me up. We had never seen each other and cell phones were dreams for us. He had a pager, I had no phone at all. Anoop recognized me, dunno how but he did. I was still worried & scared to be with a guy who is unknown to me but I had a faith in my friend, which made me give a bright smile to Anoop. He took me to local station area, and I was introduced to local trains aka backbone of Mumbai.

I sat in weirdest looking train, empty and stinky. It was Sunday morning. The train took us to Nalasopara, one of the dirtiest suburbs of Mumbai. As I was not aware of Mumbai, so Nalasopara was also Mumbai for me. On the way, I saw Mumbai aka Bombay...the unknown city, the city of fun and the city of fast paced life.

We reached Nalasopara. After a cup of chai, the first thing I did was, checking and counting of my money and my bag thoroughly. I was paranoid not because Anoop was not my friend, but the stories of Mumbai, on top of combination of Mumbai and pickpocketing were common in the world, I came from. :))) Yeah this was my first visit to Mumbai.

Next day I had to reach at the studio in Juhu, where I was going to start working. So I took the train from Nalasopara to Andheri. Train was crazily crowded at 6.30 A.M. and I almost fainted while standing in Ladies coach...I have no idea how I got down at Andheri station but I was at right station. According to Anoop, during peak hours, if you can get down at right station, then you are really lucky. I took a rickshaw from Andheri west to Juhu. At my destination the driver asked for Rs 27, and I seriously had a argument with rickshaw wala...Delhi don't have meter rickshaws after all. I was getting used to the "system".......Rest is the history...

In my 10 days trip to Mumabi I just fell in love with Mumbai. I went back to Delhi and with in two months, I was back to the financial capital of India with my luggage and Dreams, never to leave..never to go back, to make it big in life, to be what I am...to be the part of Mumabi aka Bombay.

Alas!!! I had to leave, Mumbai, Hopes, Dreams and alot more for US, for HIM...but thats another History!!!