Bombay

My charm for cities continues even in this post. This time, I speak of Bombay – the city I am learning to make friends with, the city I am just about getting to know. And the experience, by the moment, by the second, is exhilarating.

Way past my teenage, I experience the thrill of the unknown. The fact that I don’t know anything and no one knows me is constantly throwing open a rainbow of possibilities and I am all ready to jump into this ocean of discovery.

Don’t remember the last time I felt like this. Actually, I do. Precisely five years back. When I was fresh out of college and looking to start my career. When I was no one. Nothing. Zilch. Not even the pampered trainee. When life was over flowing, and when i walked through the streets of Delhi carrying a rucksack of dreams.

It was a juncture where every small achievement was big. Every discovery was meaningful.

Today, the feeling repeats itself.

Ranjan, you were right. Your words ring in my ears even today. You said. “Bhavna, You will manage famously well!” Thank you. I am.

Eagerly waiting to discover-

trains and their correct platforms

tides and their mood swings, their highs and lows

how rain feels, for forty-two hours at a stretch

the difference between east and west, the suburbs and the rest

the feeling of being closer to the sky ( top floor houses do that to you)

shortcuts to home

the length of my love affair with town

my strengths, my weaknesses, my fears, my future, my likes, and dislikes

new phone numbers, new road side cafes

how seasons smell and how long they last

ancient churches, old mosques, antique shops

faces that will become friends

the exact time the sun enters my window

home delivery numbers and who to trust with coming home

how often do I remember family and friends or do I stop remembering them at all

distances

love

life.