The Beginning
I had promised myself & others too (under duress) that i would not write about things i think about, but the temptation was too strong to resist & i had to give in. Being an auspicious day,keep forgetting what it is, but definitely auspicious today is the day i decided to start.
Just got to work, comfortably, since today being a holiday for most of the organisations. Saw a totally empty Harbour train, which like me must've surprised the people living near the tracks since they kept on staring at the train, either that or the ladies compartment ahead had a really beautiful chick.
Like most of the suburban trains when they are empty people generally prefer to stand, at the door, the whole journey, no one cares for a window seat. The wind on your face the breath of a very busy city relaxing, sleeping. Magical. The train journey usually takes half an hour for me, which on any other day seems very long but on such days i just wish i could extend my journey just get to know this city which otherwise does not seem to have time for me.
As the train approaches my station i can view the old nerve center of the city, the old railway line to the docks, the huge godowns used for storing goods coming from all over, the old cotton exchange building. I just get to imagine all the places in their hey days, when the mills were in full swing in mumbai. Now mumbai's soul is no more here its in the suburbs as if the old city of workers has gotten old & retired. Central Mumbai is just a dead body now. And I am the lucky one who gets to visit her most of the week, dont feel happy about seeing this mumbai but feel the power it once had and am always in awe of it. On a holiday like this she seems like an orphan, alone. I can almost see the similarity between her and the drug addicts who sleep near the station. Alone, in some deep & troubled memories.
The Second leg consists of walking for 10 mins from the Station to my office along the railway line, which incidentally is also a synonym for public toilets. But a great tree lined road, just long enough to last my first cigarette of the day , this is also the place where my thoughts are interrupted by my colleagues, who no matter how fast I walk or how much i hide, always catch up with me & start with the work of the day. I leave all my thoughts of Mumbai on that road to pick them up when the day is spent & i am returning to catch the homeward train.
Just got to work, comfortably, since today being a holiday for most of the organisations. Saw a totally empty Harbour train, which like me must've surprised the people living near the tracks since they kept on staring at the train, either that or the ladies compartment ahead had a really beautiful chick.
Like most of the suburban trains when they are empty people generally prefer to stand, at the door, the whole journey, no one cares for a window seat. The wind on your face the breath of a very busy city relaxing, sleeping. Magical. The train journey usually takes half an hour for me, which on any other day seems very long but on such days i just wish i could extend my journey just get to know this city which otherwise does not seem to have time for me.
As the train approaches my station i can view the old nerve center of the city, the old railway line to the docks, the huge godowns used for storing goods coming from all over, the old cotton exchange building. I just get to imagine all the places in their hey days, when the mills were in full swing in mumbai. Now mumbai's soul is no more here its in the suburbs as if the old city of workers has gotten old & retired. Central Mumbai is just a dead body now. And I am the lucky one who gets to visit her most of the week, dont feel happy about seeing this mumbai but feel the power it once had and am always in awe of it. On a holiday like this she seems like an orphan, alone. I can almost see the similarity between her and the drug addicts who sleep near the station. Alone, in some deep & troubled memories.
The Second leg consists of walking for 10 mins from the Station to my office along the railway line, which incidentally is also a synonym for public toilets. But a great tree lined road, just long enough to last my first cigarette of the day , this is also the place where my thoughts are interrupted by my colleagues, who no matter how fast I walk or how much i hide, always catch up with me & start with the work of the day. I leave all my thoughts of Mumbai on that road to pick them up when the day is spent & i am returning to catch the homeward train.
posted by Bird at
1:10 AM
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