Hill school memories

This is a Sunday evening... all friends who flocked my house since morning have left. We had a nice time playing cards over wine and cheese. We discussed about all the beautiful days we spent in the hill school, where we did journalism. Though from different batches we all graduated from the same school.
All boys and girls discussed about their long lost relationships and how the limited period of nine months didn't allow them to build a permanent one. We tried to figure out about our buddies who have found space on television and those who's bylines appear on newspapers.
Now I'm back in my bedroom-cum-study going back to those days through the few pictures I have managed to save. I'm getting nostalgic, can't help it. But anyways will have to sleep now ...tomorrow is a Monday.. so its better I sleep now...

In and out in three months: feeling bad

I'm not lost forever. And if you think I am, you must be tracking me really close... nearly lost in me. Those were my helpless explanations to MS. She's getting married this month end and wanted to know.. was never really interested in her.
She had many admirers, she was like a queen.....It was not that I wouldn't have been interested in her. She turned my head every time she walked by me. But for some strange reason I thought I'll pretend as if I'm lost in my work, or analysing the toughest thing in the world, with no space in my eyes for a beautiful woman, just to avoid her.
It worked for me ....MS would wait till late and one day asked where do I stay. I laughed as we both knew we stay next to eahothers' place, and travel in the same train.
But as a gentleman I did talk all the formal stuff...then she was exited .."oh thats great we will take the same train...the 8.20 (p.m) one from VT. Now I won't be bored for an hour." I too was equally happy such a beautiful woman for company in the train drudgery.
My life had changed... Mumbai's trains and madness was beneficial, as it allowed us to indulge more on ourselves.
It all began in October, just before the Mumbai's inconspicuous winters and we moved together for three-months. A trip to the tiger trail in Kanha, one to Bhuj and weekends at my place. Occasional night roaming in South Mumbai.
Mid-January ...one day she called me tell that someone's to come to see her. Her parents are coming to Mumbai from Indore. I knew she's to get married. I said congrats. She cried. I said we were clear from the beginning that we are not to be here for ever for each other.
She said that's fine "I know that,..but just thought that you will feel bad and will dare to say so," she cried again.
We still went to Matheran (a small hill station nearby) on a weekend trip poured ours hearts on eachother. Tried to say that, "we are mature human beings," and "we will always remain good friends."
This was the time for me get lost in myself again and her to enter into her new relationship. No body was to blame, but we both were sad...feeling bad. But friends now poke at us and say..in and out in three months...

New Mumbai

People warned me .....I didn't listen to....I moved to Vashi, staying away from the Mumbai that glitters. It's called the sleepy-line by western and central liners. Oh now what am I talking on 'lines'. It's a language only Mumbaikars can understand.
Let me explain to others.... Mumbai's life, love, money, entrepreneurship and even temperament is defined by train lines. Well before that let me clarify one thing, those people who are the ultra rich, politicians -basically people who don't travel by train- live in a place called south Mumbai, which is next to the Gateway of India, Nariman Point, Bombay Stock Exchange and Reserve Bank of India.

Now after south Mumbai, it's the western Mumbaikars, who, live and talk about the famous Bandra and Juhu (where Amiabh Bachhan lives),.... here glamor and money thrives. Central line is rooted to the ground, belongs to culturally stable hardworking people, the soldiers on whom Mumbai thrives. Then comes the harbor line, where I live and lives the dreams of a new Mumbai. New people, who came to Mumbai only after Manmohan Singh liberalized India's economy.

Just more than a decade ago even this line was limited to Chembur, where Bollywood actor and director Raj Kapoor set his studio years ago finding the Thane creek and salt pans nearby as suiting locales for his movies ....The line then moved over the small creek of sea to bring people like me to this new city.

This city has sea, hills, space and dreams of people who belong to a different Mumbai. People who are ready with their ideas to rock the world. Watchout.....