Frustration @ Mumbai

At times, people who surround you can really piss you off like anything. In Mumbai, i came across such people umpteen number of times.

The Bus conductor or Master : I boarded the bus at Borivali and asked for the ticket till Goregaon.  He blabbed something in marathi and i said "yes". My mistake.    So he gave me the ticket till there. Now as I was some 1km away from my stop, he asked me to alight. I said this is not where i have to go, i will alight at the next stop. That idiot started to push me (not literally push me although)  into alighting right there, not understanding and all the while talking in Marathi. I got frustrated because of his ill-treatment used swear words for him (my second mistake). He got all the more excited and started shouting. These bus "masters" can be big time suckers, i tell you!! So i finally ended up alighting there and swearing at him for the next two days.

The Mid-aged Marathi in Sub-urban rail: You might be aware of the crowd at the sub-urban local train in Mumbai. Inside the train there is just enough space to keep your feet, without moving it(well its obvious). So i entered the tightly packed train and by mistake brushed my foot over the mid-aged stubborn looking marathi man. This much was enough to incite him. He started blabbing like he just had a bitter fight with his disobeying wife. I didn't mind him. Of course I didn't mind him. But it was worth mentioning.

The busy looking grocery store owner : I went into a store and asked for something. He simply ignored me the first few times and finally asked me what i wanted as if doing me a favor. So after i paid up for the stuff, he simply slid the change towards me. Never-mind. But again, it was worth mentioning.

Apart from these petty incidents i found the people very friendly and helpful. These people will really help you whenever you are in need. They will guide you for where ever you want to go (i mean the path; literally). Although if you are not marathi then at times you can find them apathetic, but its bearable.

I love MUMBAI!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Yeh hai Mumbai meri jaan!!!

Mumbai : The city, i feel, which can fulfill my dreams. I came Mumbai on 15th August 2011 , the 64th Independence Day, and as soon as i alighted the bus, i felt free, independent. Mumbai is in fact a very massively crowded place. If i was asked to describe Mumbai in one word it would be "CHAOS". If i was granted the privilege to use another word to describe then the words would be " ORDERLY CHAOS" Let me give you an example of this orderly chaos. You go to a sub-urban railway station on a week day and at the peak rush hour, say 9'o clock in morning. The platform is full of daily commutators. Full as in, you can see only the heads of people moving randomly in a haphazard manner, waiting for the 9:02 A.M. train to arrive. The train arrives in time and before it made a halt, a large "volume" of people seems to flow out the train and a similar volume is pushed into it. Both these processes appear to happen as if some invisible force is taking control of it. Well the invisible force is the ORDERLY CROWD. You just need to stand in the right place at the right time, rest will be done by the invisible force. Also both these processes happen in not more than 20 seconds and the train leaves the platform roughly by 09:02:30 A.M. It's not long that the train left, the people have already started rushing towards the exit door and within three to five minutes everyone leaves the platform causing the delusion as it was always so empty and no soon that the people had left, the crowd for the next train starts appearing. The cycle continues.

Another interesting feature about Mumbai is its unpredictable weather. Yes, most of you, just like me, might have heard about the moody rainy season here, but I got a chance to experience it. Its like this: You move out of your home and the sun is shining bright over your head. You are quite sure that today will be a sunny day and you needn't take your umbrella with you. You start walking towards the bus-stop which is a few minutes walk away. You reach there and the sun is still shining bright. Its been four and a half minutes and the bus has still not arrived. Suddenly something wet falls on your head. Oh my god, is it birds poop??? You touch the wet substance with your fingers to determine what it is and its not long that you will find yourself completely drenched in rain. Large drops of water falling from sky piercing through your skin as is trying to kill you. You are wet from head to toe and now the bus arrives. You get inside it quickly to prevent yourself from anymore wetness. The bus moves and in not more than a few moments, as you look outside its windows, you find the sun shining bright again, but only the roads are wet (and ofcourse you).