Mumbai meri jaan

It’s been almost a month that I have come back to Pune, but I just can’t get the ‘city of dreams’ out of my head. I have to admit that Mumbai is a very addictive city. Once you stay here, say even for a year or two the pace just gets on to you. You become so used to the fast life that other cities seem to be duller than ever. Similar thing has happened to me.

I am a proud Punekar and just love my city. But a two-year stint in Mumbai has made me rethink. I have visited Mumbai every year as my grandparents stayed there but staying for earning my bread and butter was a hell of an experience. Traveling by local trains, observing people of different linguistic backgrounds, trying to understand alien tongues was so much of a challenge and I loved every minute of it.

The sea was my favourite and luckily I always stayed near the sea- in Jogeshwari (nearest was Juhu beach), Bandra (used to go to Bandstand for jogging) and Prabhadevi (near the Worli sea face). I used to love the five star food reviews, the occasional celebrity spotting and the trips to Marine Drive and my classes at Max Mueller Bhavan in Kalaghoda. The occasional AC bus rides via Haji Ali, the picturesque Haji Ali road, the oh-so-posh Peddar Raod and Breach Candy, I miss it all.

The yummy fruit juice at the Haji Ali Juice Centre, the Cannon Pav Bhaji near CST, McDonalds near CST, Rasraj Mushroom Pav Bhaji at Fort, Delhi Durbar at Marine Lines, Aditi Juice Centre at Andheri were some of my favourite eating haunts.

Time to sum it up all- Mumbai is meri jaan even though Pune remains my shaan ;)