But then as gradually I began living and started getting to know the darker side of life. She was forever being driven mad by her Great Momma! One could hear the shoutings in the middle of the night. That’s the usual time for her to return from shoot i guess. When we used to cross each other at the lift space we would greet each other but I would always end up having sympathies for her as I thought she was being badly treated by her Momma. But she never let that show on her confident stylish self. She isn’t tall as I would have wanted her to be but she still maintains that svelte figure for which I guess she has been working at a 30K a year Health club. Phew! I wonder many people still don’t get that as an annual salary!!

At the Holi bash in our society building we all were invited and we had a great time together. Only society, strictly. No outsiders allowed. It was fun. There was a DJ, loads of colors, a tank full of water (kinda swimming pool for kids-a pit) then the usual mithais and snacks and then a full blown lunch.

She also came down and played Holi with the neighbours. Her Mom was unwell and she didn’t come down that day at all. She lives with her Mom while her Dad is away in the UAE. He works for some MNC and he has given them this four bedroom swanky apartment with a terrace to live in. The girl has been seen in more than a dozen films and has made her mark. I wonder where her siblings if any are. The only male members who arrive at her home are her helps and her Manager. As a curious guy I always wanted to see how she lived - like what was her living room like? Was she too filmy? Did she have that class which I was hoping she did! She did speak very well and was at her best in all the interactions we have had since the last year.

After the Holi the ice was broken and she now used to greet me before I could and she was always smiling. I as a gentleman should used to open the lift doors for her and I enjoyed doing that. One sunday when her Mom had gone away some where she had come to my door and rang the doorbell. As usual we are lounging in pajamas on the weekends and I didn’t bother to look through the Magic-Eye and opened the door thinking someone must have come to visit me. I was surprised to see her at the door. Stunned, I invited her to come in but she said, “Why don’t you join me for a cup of coffee and chit chat!” WOW. That hit me.

I asked her for a few minutes and I rushed to shower myself and put on a neat linen shirt and jeans and splashed on my Gucci aftershave for a pleasant effect and headed to her door which was open for me.

As I knocked she promptly came and showed me in - I was heaved a sigh of relief at what I saw … the decor was great, things in her living room were quite chic and elegant. I settled in a lovely art deco sofa and kept on observing the lovely painting which adorned the huge wall. She asked me if I needed water and asked her maid to get it. I congratulated her for the lovely place she had created and she smiled. We chatted over coffee and she asked me about my life and why I was still single. I told her that it was very difficult to get a soul mate in Mumbai and she giggled at me. As gentlemen never ask women their age I was tempted too but didn’t ask. In between our first sit-down meeting i wanted to ask about her relationship with her Mom but after churning a lot of the idea in my mind I gave it up as it was not appropriate for a stranger like me to question her about personal relations. After about an hour and a half I said I should go as I had planned to go watch a film with my friends and since they had given me umpteen calls till now I couldn’t ditch them. She was warm affectionate attentive and quite a charming girl which I never thought would let some stranger as me befriend her. But here she was chatting away to glory. I loved the moments. I cherish them.

Since then we have been catching up more often and i have also bumped into her at the airport and it has been fun.

But for the past one month I haven’t seen her and I have caught glimpses of her Mom but never her. I wonder where she has gone- may be she must have gone for her outdoor. Hope she comes back and my affection for my neighbor never diminishes.

So fellows, just be yourself and love thy neighbours.

Spread Joy n Cheer!

Always:)

As I had never been to Mumbai ever before I was in awe of this city and the way it moved. How everyone started moving like robots from 7am till the entire day and night. Phew! The scenes at stations was too much to handle for me and then i shifted to a dependable service called the AC Bus which till now has suited me fine. Else the taxi and auto are also quite upto the mark except for situations where when you need one and he refuses to take you there ‘coz it’s not where he is headed. That can exasperate the best of us.

All in all I have had a mixed year in Mumbai and I agree that this is the place if you want to grind yourself you get rewarded too if you make the right moves - career wise ONLY.

Personally I have always been single and happy and this was not going to change in a year’s time as I am a little too conservative in my approach to life. Though I did meet some very interesting people and have also befriended a few from my work place but as most of them are married and have their respective personal lives I have never felt jealous (except for a few times) about they being happier than me.

Being a happy-go-lucky-person and quieter and shy I have always felt that due to me not making the right moves towards opening up with strangers in first meetings I have never dated anyone beyond the third date. Maybe they don’t quite have that chutzpah, magic, chemistry (chemical locha aka Munnabhai) in them to spark certain types of chemical reaction in my mind. So there I am still looking out for that special someone… if at all there is that “special” someone!

My ususal days in the monsoons have been that of fun really as I did love it when it first rained and i went out and got drenched! I loved it. Am sure many share the same feelings about rains and romance and that chilling respite it gives us from the heat.

The work front has been good and its rewarding for me as I have also been promoted in my first year itself. It’s only when I get back home that a tinge of loneliness which is quite often which crawls around me and then I end up going out and chilling with strange people in the nearing CCD’s Baristas and what have you Hookah/Sheesha joints which is full of wannabees - actors, models, filmmakers, students and some celebrities.

As I stay at Lokhandwala I always wonder how many people stay here who do not have much to do. I pretty much fancy the way they move around with the same smile and gusto everyday - in and out. Phew! Some energy they have. I have been host to some frustrated writers, directors , producers, actors  and even some  known faces on my table. I always wonder  how much it takes to leave your folks behind and move on without any surety, guarantee  or  approval  to  tinseltown and struggle here which i know is too much for anyone. I know people who came with out a dime and have made millions and move around in Porsche’s today but they also bid their time and worked hard.

Today’s generation of strugglers have two ways to get there where they want to see themselves - the hard way - which means lots of hardwork patience and calm, the other way - the easy way - start selling yourself for work and that means compromise, arrange for moolah and pay the directors/producers to make a film with you or go ahead and do everything for a throwaway price. I wonder how many will survive. Sometimes I feel lucky that God didn’t put me in their shoes else I would have been miserable. And I Thank God for what he has given me what if I don’t have a girlfriend I have a job and it doesnt bitch about me!

I was going through random blogs here by wonderful people and I admire their way with words and I would like to follow their posts more regularly now that I have some more time with me now.

But Thank You Mumbai for giving me a space to live in and work in your space too. I am lucky and I owe my current state of happiness and bliss to you.