Mubai diary- by the rikshaw wallah

I must tell you that I had a very interesting passenger. She looked like a journalist, ya the people they show on television. She was reading something and I figured out that she worked with a local news channel. She asked me a lot of questions about my slum, my people and Mumbai. She told me how prized we are for the TVwallahs and for all Mumbaikars. I felt proud of myself. She was unperturbed by the gazes people threw at her, when she rolled her camera to take shots. She wanted to capture everything in the small chest she carried. She clicked and rolled and wrote and nudged and went on… I wanted to feel the light of sun under her camera shots. And I wanted her to picture the fathomless desires resonating from my place, the Gorai creek.


Today was a really lucky day. I got out to work early, could manage a commuter near my shanty at Gorai creek. She looked like an officer. Middle-aged, well dressed and educated… We have always been told that educated people know English and can speak with an accent, we can never catch. She was speaking to somebody on phone, thus I gathered she is educated. Mumbai makes you oblivious to everything around, trust me. It is full of people but you are always alone.

Kalu, my friend says, Mumbai matters to them, who matters to Mumbai. Whatever that means, I have always been happy here. People say this is city of dreams. I have been here when I could not really have an ambition or dream. And later, circumstances asked me not to dream but to sail on with the waves of the ocean here.

My second passenger was a firang…Gosh, I detest them. I start thinking of the old stories my mother used to narrate. How her soft and supple hands would rise in anger, her temples would burn and flaring her nostrils she would swear against them. Too bad, that even today these firangs come here with the hope of ruling us. But I must confess, they have stacks of money. It is easy to dodge them… He looked amused by Mumbai… and very smartly he used dictionary to converse with me.

I had some strange passengers followed by the firang. The three eunuchs I should not have allowed. They were very loud and looked painfully seared. They take a lot of advantage from the people and can never keep quiet. Well, let me also tell you, looking for quiet time in Mumbai is hoping against hope. You might see an Albatross flying from the Worli sea face, but you will never see an unobtrusive, silent and hushed Mumbai.

The rikshaw stopped for quite some time because of the jam. Mumbai jams are something you see everywhere. You can love it, hate it but you have to stay with it. My passenger tried to capture the boardwalk style abode a lot of city, or should I say footpath dweller has. The lenses imprisoned the swaying rag over the wobbly timber silhouetting a house. The some meter square place on the trail comprised a place; where you can cook, eat, bathe and even have sex. And the people who live there do not complain. They do not find the blaring horns irritating; they do not feel it is uncouth to spit on the pavement and they feel it is up to scratch even if you pass out right in front of ‘the public’.

A day in the city

It has been quite sometime, when I had to write a travelogue on Mumbai or a satire or maybe plain jane experiences like engulfing the memoirs-aka-mumbai diaries or we may call, dhobi ghat.

My experiences has not outlied the magnum opus written on the maximum city. Neither has it outdone to find a place in my mind or heart till now. The smell of the rain, as people say is enchanting here..i have to experience that. The first time I felt Mumbai, was in a smoky art work at an exhibition in New Delhi. I wondered what this place could be, if I had to stay here. I hear people saying there is an energy emanating from the air that blows and dries in mumbai. And I have to admit, I second that.

The patchy woodwork by the craftsman with little beads of sweat ; a busy street with blaring horns deafening the eroding silence of your mind; a loud clamor in your soul spreading and detracing the underneath wall of you and then crushing it layer by layer; an artist's masterpiece unlike the last leaf that struggled with the wind for its mere existence; a common man licking his thirsty lips fearing he might grow sluggish, detesting the abominable lull in the air and then withdrawing in the gloom; an anticipated youth's heart fluttering for it has just blossomed and has smelt love in the same air; an executive who laments every ride by the local train yet strives to yearn for and earn the ultimate happiness that crops day in and day out; the bigshots who find solace in the glistening wall of their abode away from the glitterati, who stare at the stars shining and glitzening with the sparkle they want to attain someday; the ever flowing and incessant roaring of currents that dries the once marinated souls; the shapely mammoth rocks at the sea shore which has witnessed plethora of emotions, been silently wafting loud sneer of hobnob.

the colourless fragments of mind, the shapeless-amoeba like thoughts, the uprising noise of soul, the somber delicate entwined twirl in the wind which has a never ending fear of breaking down in the middle; such is life from the pages of the city.

My life according to Green Day

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Pass it on to people you like and include me. You can't use the band I used. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think! Re post as "My Life According to (Name of Artist)"

1. Are you a male or female?

Little Girl (Viva La Gloria)

2. How do you feel:

Desensitized

3. Describe where you currently live:

Christie Road

4. If you could go anywhere, where would you go?

Murder City

5. Your favorite form of transportation:

Hitching a ride

6. Your best friend is:

The Prosthetic Head

7. What's the weather like?

Dry Ice

8. Favorite time of day:

Homecoming

9. If your life was a TV show, what would it be called?

Pop-rocks and Coke

10. What is life to you?

Last night on earth

11. Your fear:

Brain Stew

12. What is the best advice you have to give?

Nice guys finish last

13. Thought for the day:

See the light

14. How I would like to die:

Restless heart syndrome

15. My soul's present condition:

Suffocate

16. My motto:

Do Da Da

facebooked!

Read and get bored.


1. Last beverage: morning chai
2. Last phone call: husband :)
3. Last text message: bhai
4. Last song you listened to: Baby when the lights go out (David Guetta)
5. Last time you cried: 28-dec

HAVE YOU EVER...
1. Dated someone twice: No...how stupid cud i be !!!
2. Been cheated on? No...not tht i kno of...
3. Kissed someone & regretted it? No.
4. Lost someone special? Yes.
5. Been depressed? No.
6. Been drunk and threw up? No

LIST (not least, right?...) FOUR FAVORITE COLORS: Black, Pink, blue & yellow.

HAVE YOU:
1. Made new friends: Yes.
2. Fallen out of love: Yes.
3. Laughed until you cried: Yes.
4. Met someone who changed you: Ha ha....not possible.
5. Found out who your true friends were: Yes....the hard way.
6. Found out someone was talking about you: Yes...and it did make for some interesting gossip.
7. Kissed anyone on your friend's list: Yes.
8. How many people on your friends list do you know in real life: Everyone.
9. How many kids do you want to have: Only one.
10. Do you have any pets: No, do not intend to have in future either
11. Do you want to change your name: Absolutely not.
12. What did you do for your last birthday: My friends did. made it special :) :) love 'em
13. What time did you wake up today: 9 am
14. What were you doing at midnight last night: Talking to my husband.
15. Name something you CANNOT wait for: A relaxed weekend.
16. Last time you saw your father: 20-dec-10.
17. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life: my hard hitting luck
19. Most visited webpage: gmail.com

1. What's your name: Manjari
2. Nicknames: manu, mannu, maggi, maggu, meg, micky, mann, picky, piku, tweety, i think...that is it!
3. Relationship Status: Married
4. Zodiac sign: Virgo
5. Male or female or transgendered: Female.
6. Elementary: DPS Dhanbad
7. School: DPS Dhanbad
8. Colleges: Delhi University & ICFAI
10. Hair color: Black
11. Long or short: short-medium
16. Height: 5' 3"
17. Do you have a crush on someone? No.
18. Ever been in love? Yes.
19. Piercings? One in each ear.
20. Tattoos? No
21. Righty or lefty: Right handed.

FIRSTS :
22. First surgery: No.
23. First piercing: ears pierced when i was 12.
24. First best friends: Anki, Sneha, dolly and chinki.
26. First sport you loved: Badminton.
27. First pet: never been interested
28. First vacation: I think it was Rajasthan.
29. First concert: Jal (New Delhi).
30. First crush: My professor ;)

RIGHT NOW:
49. Eating: Just ate.
50. Drinking: Water.
52. I'm about to: Take a shower.
53. Listening to: David Guetta
55. Waiting for: party tonight.

YOUR FUTURE :
58. Want kids? Yup...sometimes in the future.
59. Want to get married? I am already.
60. Careers in mind? Author, critic, writer, poetess and training manager.

WHICH IS BETTER WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX?
68. Lips or eyes: Eyes.
69. Hugs or kisses: both.
70. Shorter or taller: Taller.
71. Older or Younger: Older.
72. Romantic or spontaneous: Spontaneous.
73. Nice stomach or nice arms: Both.
74. Sensitive or loud: Sensitive...obviously.
75. Hook-up or relationship: Both
77. Trouble maker or hesitant: troublemaker

HAVE YOU EVER :
78. Kissed a stranger: No.
80. Lost glasses/contacts: No.
81. Sex on first date: No.
82. Broken someone's heart: Yes.
83. Had your own heart broken: Yes.
85. Been arrested: No
86. Turned someone down: Yes
87. Cried when someone died: Yes
88. Liked a friend that is a boy? Yes.


DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
89. Yourself: Yes...a lot!!
90. Miracles: Yes.
91. Love at first sight: Hell No!!
92. Heaven: No.
93. Santa Clause: Used to....then i grew up...
95. Kiss on the first date? Yes.
96. Angels: Yes.

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
97. Is there one person you want to be with right now? Yes.
98. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at one time? No.
100. Posting this as 100 Truths? Yes...ABSOLUTELLYYY



In the end, tag random people who come to mind.

An open letter to God

Dear God,

It is going to be so difficult to write to you. As of now most jibes are hurled at blasé villains who have copiously robbed us of our integrity, chattels, honor, nobility and pride. But my concern is seldom having faith left in you. They think you are not worldly wise; or they think you have no interest left in ‘give them peace’; probably they also think that proving you a potent and influential clout is ineffectual and futile.

Imagine a keyed and wound up, hyperventilating, belligerent and forever-fighting crowd for 2.7 acres of land. Imagine you given a choice of residing in your preferred abode, where would you like to put up? Ever thought that? Or let’s just look at your (read: namesake) children, Kalmadi who has bared the last piece of rag from our pelt; Politicians (countless names) who have turned deaf ear to all our protest, request, gripe and dissent.  Imagine a crowd divided, sub-divided, segregated and carved up; there are multitudes of them, it will take more than eternity to count. Now this chunk of caste, sub-caste, communities, religion etc wants their own space. This leads to a protracted battle, riots and commotion. People have suffered, they have planted issues, they have recovered and they have lead to a vicious cause-effect chain. No sign of your supremacy on their errands, yearning, aggression, wrath, frustration and fury.

My mother says that you are in us, a part of us or I must say everywhere. I have believed every word from her and she also says, I am a part of you and therefore my self-avowal is so sky high. I have also heard your voice from my conscience. I come from that school of thought, which says, God has an answer to your every prayer. I have that litheness to ward off that thought and say, ‘Relax! I am okay, you are okay’, without thinking and questioning your existence. You already know that, it does not matter. Really! But I wanted to know is it that simple for you too? How can you live with so much dirt and filth around? When people (your children) fight for land, why don’t you give an appearance and tell them you don’t need reconciliation, or you don’t give a damn to whether your abode is a temple or mosque. Or, is it that you are also tired of decoding the sentiments of billion plus population? And therefore, you have stopped reacting? I have heard (from my mother, again) that if you get angry at people, you teach them a lesson. I remember hurting my hand when I had hit my brother without any reason and my mother had said, God punishes us if we do something wrong. It is etched in my soul. I have since then refrained doing anything that hurts people.

Why is it that the then controlling and powerful you are not showing your wrath, not reproving the scandalous, never correcting the diversionary tactics, not bridging the gap and seldom purge the squander.

Waiting for your reply,

Manjari