Mumbai Musings of a Single Outsider

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.