Now this is something that is a no-brainer. Having lived in only one city all my life makes this easy for me. Mumbai (I have always called it Mumbai, no Bombay business for me) was, is and will always remain THE city for me. Being born in this city and having spent all my life here makes me very grateful for all that I have experienced so far. Now, one can write reams and reams about how this city is the best, or the worst, depending on how you look at it.
I can only speak about what this city has given me, the experiences that I have had here and what it means to me.
First of all, this city is my birthplace. As someone who sticks to his roots and has absolutely no nomadic traits, it is natural that I am very attached to Mumbai. Simply put, I just don’t know any other city this closely to fall in love with. Not even my native place, which used to be my summer home every year, holds the same charm for me. Secondly, the people in this city make this city worthwhile. One may complain about the ever-increasing crowd and how the city is bursting on the seams under the load, but one can never deny the human spirit of this city. This is the country’s financial capital, but it is not drunk on money. You can see a super-rich skyscraper right next to a slum, and both are equally instrumental in making this city what it is. Thirdly, I love the freedom that this city gives me. Nobody really bothers you unless you bother them. Everybody generally minds their own business, until they need to poke their nose into yours. When you are stuck or struck by something, you can count on the Mumbaikars to try and help you out. They may not always succeed, but they will try. Numerous disasters have struck this city, and we all know how this city has rose back and tackled them. This is something that this city has taught me – to not make a fuss of tragedy and to get back to business. That is something I will always be thankful for.
And now for the most important reason I love this city for – the sea. I doubt if I will be able to love any other city like I love Mumbai. But if I do, it surely has to have a seafront. That is how much I love the sea. It has been a witness to many of my cherished moments – of both joy and grief, of companionship and loneliness, of love and longing. It is a fairly long travel from my place to Marine Drive, but once I reach there and see the evening sun dissolving into the horizon, it is worth the trip. Bonus points if I have a hand to hold when I watch the sun going down.
And yes, this is perhaps the only city where distance is measured in minutes and hours instead of miles and kilometers – a boon for a geographically challenged person like me. :D
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