I have always felt a strong attachment to my city, Mumbai. Our equation however has evolved with time and today I seek answers to several complex questions. After a few years of studying abroad, I was surprisingly aware of sights in Mumbai that I was earlier immune to. Labourers toiling in the hot sun with their children playing in debris nearby – I questioned the authenticity of the ‘city of dreams’. Multitudes of tiny hutments shadowed by tall buildings – I doubted whether this was a form of blissful ‘co-existence’ we are popularly known to house. Traffic engulfed roads at all times and this made worse by a lack of driving etiquette – I wondered where the ‘city planning’ was. I found myself craving for a weekend away only to listen to sounds of silence.
Many a times I imagine a life lived outside of Mumbai but once that moment has passed, I know that our relationship is beyond flings. For all her vices, she still boasts an indomitable spirit, a gentle nature, a forgiving attitude and a universal sense of acceptance. Having lived here, one cannot dispute the existence of a certain oneness amongst her culturally diverse, migrant infused and economically disparate population. I know that Mumbai, like other cities, is not a perfect one. But I also believe that she has not failed her people in providing them with a certain sense of belonging.
I have been breeding a shameful sense of ignorance about Mumbai for a while. Books have been written, movies have been made and foreigners have breathed her in more than I have. So far, my knowledge about her has been restricted to restaurants, clubs and the Gateway of India. But now, an inherent fondness has paved the need for a substantiated love. I feel the need to be a tourist in my own city and visit the ‘much written about’ destinations along with unravelling local joints that lend Mumbai her unique charm. I wish to walk around in the scorching sun amongst her people, to jump onto a local train (for therein lies my first challenge) and in turn, unravel as many facets of daily life as I can. My plan is to be foot loose and fancy free with the objective of finding a more deserving sense of belonging and also, to bring Mumbai closer to you.
Foot Loose in India 