Yeh hai Mumbai Meri Jaan

Even before I could blink, two years have gone. Two years of my being in this city, which I always liked but never dreamt of living in; which I knew but never imagined it would engulf me one day; which I explored but never believed I would map its local markets for groceries; where trains are the lifeline of the city but never thought I would travel in them one day.

Lots of resistance to leave a comfortable, cushy life in Delhi in a newly-bought home, little skepticism about a new life, a thought of bit adventure to live in a new city, a dash of hope to get a better life with better career prospects…an amalgamation of all this and more was what with I met the announcement of our shifting base to Mumbai.

So, what’s the progress report of these two years' stay here? I would borrow few words of my colleague, “This city sucks you in its system, its madness…even before you know, and you are part of it.” I am enlisting 10 sure symptoms, which tells me that there’s a Mumbaikar in me now:

1. The sight of “yet another construction” round the year, on every inch of the space-starved city does not ring the phrase “concrete jungle” in my mind.
2. Barricaded houses with grills here, there, everywhere and no balconies, no parks don’t yield more complaints from me.
3. I look forward to rains even if it means dealing with tension of drying up clothes, keeping floors clean, living with a damp smell, getting drenched even when on a small outing, and not seeing sun for days altogether.
4. Vada pav becoming staple food and missing it if few days pass without having it. Idli, Dosa, Sambhar, Shira, Poha, Ghakhda, Chakli, Chikkis are now part of our routine diet and we cook/store them.
5. Becoming more patient and respecting queues and waiting for my turn, be it in a doctor’s clinic, grocery store or bhaji market.
6. Outing, stroll, time pass…all this means hitting nearby malls turnwise.
7. I can’t imagine travel long distances without trains (no matter how much I dislike traveling in it)
8. I sit in the auto first and then tell my destination, and pay strictly by meter reading.
9. Usual masala now means green chilies, coriander, ginger, lemon AND Curry Leaves. Curry Leaves dominate most of the dishes now.
10. It does not surprise me to find a working couple earning more than lakhs per month stay in 1BHK with family (including parents, kids) without a car and rent out it’s 2 BHK house for extra income (our landlord is one of them).
11. I wait for Ganapati Mahotsav (but this is old one, even before settling in this city).
    
    The list will swell with time…depends how long we stay here…