She manages to look beautiful and in her best form even at 3:00 am in the morning dusk. The aerial view from the aircraft as you land into her arms is breath taking and yet so comforting as she welcomes you to the city of dreams. Mumbai!
As her tummy starts to tickle with excitement as in some roller coaster ride to the city.She manages to set her entangled hair straight & look somewhat human to her awaiting folks so they dont pass unrecognised. She lands the city of Dreams. The city which vouches to never sleep or even blink.A city were she built her hopes, fear, happiness, love, life and all of it.
As she landed making her way to the emigration office she hopped right onto the escalator she saw millions and millions of heads from above and as she came closer to the lower level there she came close to reality were she became a part of those million crowd being just a stranger to the people and to the city. That's when she understood the plight of those thousands of tourist who visit her country everyday or year.
She managed to get her way out after tons of pushing and excusing herself with those heavy suitcase and finally entering the so called line which has no end.
As she stood there wondering when the line would come to an end there pops in a group of 10 odd people cutting the line and boom stands right in front of her as though she was non existent to them. She mutters "Welcome to the Mumbainess" not to forget the add on of 35 degree temperature at 4:00 in the morning.
After a long wait of some odd hours finally making her way out of the emigration line taking with her all those sweaty smell from the crowd. There she bumps into another sweaty crowd to the baggage claim where a dozen of people wanting to offer their helping hand with her most heavy weight bags in exchange of money and some free advice which you get either ways.
On her way to the so called"Green Channel" wonder why is called so? which by her defination is nothing but offering or by force giving away your hard earned dollars to the so called custom officer animal who is anxiously
awaiting to find some prey for his morning glory.
So after loosening some dollars from her so called India fund she gets royal service from the Pandu. It's called " The Pandu Servie" which is a special escort service to the exit of the Airport.
Conclusion to the above para: One needs to either not travel alone with so many suitcases of heavy baggage specially if you are a women or have some sort of influence be it any kind in the airport in order to save those hard earned dollars.
By the experience she had in like an hour of landing she wonders,Is this the very country she calls her own or is it the country where she currently dwells her own, were the least she doesn't get conned in various forms.
The city of Dreams which by now was all different and came in the unseen form to her.It wasn't the same city anymore that she cherished half her life. The city had changed so much or was it her perception towards the city that was changed? she wondered...
Mumbai you amuse me in every possible way be it "Of The People, By The People, For The People"!
