Mumbai! Get into the groove soon! DREAM ON :)

The city of Mumbai is for the “Dreamers” because life is a cherished dream, and no other city in India can offer us this cornucopia of colorful options as she does. Its sea beaches & promenades, footpaths & Dharavis, skyscrapers & Pigeon-holed apartments whisper promises of sustenance for the marginalized, abundance, and prosperity for the go-getters as well.

Whenever I happened to step into this city, it filled me with unspeakable energy of joy and hope, energy and vitality. Life flowed around me, and I was caught in the vortex of its varied sights and sounds: of smiling office-goers, energetic young boys, happy girls, shouting hawkers, and rushing school children. The whooshing of cars & cabs, the sparkling eyes of the Parsee women with dogs, and young ladies jogging with their puddles, the merry boot polish boy, and the chirpy Dabbawalas fascinated me. There is magic awaiting you at every corner.

The colors and magic of the Kalaghoda festival of the spring is an event to be believed. People from all around the country and the world displayed art,  theatre, photography, cinema and, other street shows that took my breath away. The exotic cuisines I tasted from around the globe floored me practically. The swirling crowd from different corners of the world was a feast to my eyes. I returned to the hotel with my daughter with dizzying senses. We tasted the best wines and Italian cuisine in the restaurant.

I revisited the city this year in August. Mumbai, to my eyes, was convalescing from the post-covid sickness.  The glamorous international airport wore a  deserted look. I searched for those unfamiliar from different countries who crowd the lounge and the eateries. There was hardly any.

When I came out of the exit, I discovered that silence filled the life of those people who chatted carefree by the roadside. The same silence surrounded the Mumbai night which, never went to sleep. The footpaths were empty, and the sprawling, cheerful Dharavi appeared so dampened. I felt a surge of pain within. My bubbling naughty child has lost the skip and the giggle. The cab driver was courteous( as drivers in Mumbai are) yet he seemed lost in his thoughts.

I tried to strike a conversation. His voice seemed tired but not blithe as before. He said he had tasted enough death around him. It does not shock him. He is worried about his plunging income. “Madam, Aisa din kbhi nhi dekha. Income ekdum band tha. July se Chala rha hun. Sb savings Kha gya.” ( Madam, I haven’t seen such days. My income was zero. I am warning since July. All my savings have exhausted). I fell into silence too. He said he loved the city because it enabled him to buy a home and lead a decent life. The people are kind and friendly. Yet days are very hard.

Emptiness looked me in the face from the rooms of the hotel. Most shops were closed at night.

 I never saw such a lonely look on Mumbai streets. Only a few stray lean dogs roamed here and there, looking in vain for some leftovers. A few masked faces in the morning made my heart sad. Deeply ponderous and looking down, creeping like snail towards their destination. I never saw such expressions in the face of Mumbaikars! Where are those happy faces? Are they buried into their laptop, working from home?

The small shops opened in the hope of customers. There were vegetable and fruit vendors where homemakers flocked with masked faces. In front of our hotel, the Beauty Parlor that promised to transform you into a Diva remained shut day and night. The tea shops, selling lentil snacks and samosas, did brisk business with the daily waged laborers who built the skyscrapers even in blinding rain. The sky remained gloomy most of the time.

In Mumbai, it pours when it rains. I observed the trees around, the hawks on their branches, and the pigeons on the roof of many houses. Some parakeets flew here and there to soothe my eyes. At least, the Covid sickness did not affect nature in general.

The phoenix mall has lost its previous luster and affluence. In Dadar, the wholesale market was trying to survive the onslaught of the Dragon disease. Most of the men and women lost their employment. The glittering restaurants in the mall closed their doors too. So we went outside to eat in a humble Chinese eatery.

Mumbai is the city I love most because it has never failed to intrigue me. I could feel its throbbing heart, its pulsating music and theatres, its colorful beaches, and its happy cosmopolitan crowd. I returned with a heavy heart, and I boarded the flight with a  prayer for my darling Bombay, India’s financial capital, the central nervous system, which makes ordinary people smile.

I pray for your life force to return. I pray for the lifeblood to rejuvenate you. I pray for your healthy comeback. I am sure you are stronger than any 3^rd wave.

Prayers for the Mumbaikars living there. May God bring back your cheerful self. Amen.