With full hopes of an awesome flight, an awesome view and an awesome experience, I boarded 9W 444 at 12.20pm from BIAL, and as the flight took a steep turn westway,
I saw the balded fields that earned
browning points..
The flight was crampy! After sitting in beautiful large reclining seats in executive buses , the god-forsaken seat gave me cramps! It added to the disappointment and frustration as I saw the ever-chatty man (Mr. Boastful (B) )with an undisputed ability of boasting talking in the highest decibles known in-flight with his co-passenger!
The best part of the scene was when food came and he ordered Non-veg platter! I shuddered at the lady's plight as we ate silently and Mr. B attacked on the meagre lunch that would satiate a dieter's hunger!
And as he digged into the pudding,it generated more shrugs and I realised we were flying over those beautiful tunnels on Mumbai-Pune highway. I was desperate in making the flight memorable, but for his annoying snores that followed the heavy meal. So I decided to do what soothes my photo-itchy fingers!....
The flight glided on the clouds smoothly and before I could remember what I read in Matthew 15.10 (oh! By the way... I carried the New Testament everywhere I went, my Ooty Appy suggested me to read the NIV) ... we were on our way to descent and the "please-switch off-all-electronic-devices" instruction was repeated time
and again, first from the captain, then by the air hostesses. But hiding electronic items while using them is like Vetaal on ex-college students like us ;) And I frantically kept clicking photos of the buildings, the roads, the resorts, the slums and finally the flights in taxi on Chattrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai. It was then that I realised that "Clicking photographs in any of Indian Airport premises is prohibited"
The growing citee! The flats!
Flights on CS Airport!
The rushing few on concreted roads
And there I was.. on the concreted roads of Mumbai after six long years! I could feel the strange happiness in me for having arrived in the city I missed the most when I left from here for the first time! As we headed towards Kurla Station, I felt the impatience in me for the Local-train to arrive. I acted as one of those dumb tourists who would have never seen a crowd on a local station as I found people gaping at my huge smile and frequency of flashes of my camera!
48 hours later, I decide to pay a visit to Xavier's Institute of Communication, to actually go and talk to
the people there and find some seniors who could give me a piece of gyaan about the college near
Victoria Terminus! As I stepped on the floor of the beautiful station, I saw the mad rush on the platforms. It seemed as if time was moving on 4x for these people!
It also brought back memories of 26/11 attacks and I started finding the same spots where once these terrorists stood and did what we now call the black day attacks. I went to the same places where once these people went. Cruising on the same roads as they did. First the west-exit at the V.T station. Then the Cama and Albless Hospital. It was like rewinding my memories.
A Mumbaikar near the place of shootout!
The Soulful Hospital
It however was my personal feeling, for, I saw the brave Mumbaikars continuing their lives as if nothing had happened! I realised how different is South India from Mumbai! They continued playing in the 'Maidan', continued shopping on 'Fashion Street' and continued all thier work that never reminded themofthe incident. Atleast, that is what I believed they felt!
Half a mile away, I finally reached Xavier College on College Chowk! You must have known what college I refer to right? If no, then have a look
"Kabhi kabhi Aditi zindagi mein yuhin...."
Remember now right? We are so inclined to Cinemas! I was so tempted to take this photo, just for the causeof uploading it here and refreshing memories of the movie that we all watched full house last year eh!
XIC was mind-blowingly cool! Their office, the enquiry desk, the classrooms, the Seminar Halls, the background music and the mineral water! The Airconditioner might be of 20 tonnes I guess!! Well.. their Academic records were cool as well! I was totally baffled by this college, for it being the first I went to inspect before my entrance exams!
Sadly I was too occupied with the bite of a shop-aholic bug after the college visit which distracted me from my camera and enchated me into a world- full of beautiful Tees and Tops on Fashion street! And how I bargained! My best score was 120 "not bought". I still remember how the shopkeeper started off with 550 Rupees and I said "550? So much? We dont want" and pretended to move, (but did not). He then said, "ok, how much will you give?" I said 100. He said, 'Last bolo. kitna?' I said 100. He asked me the same question about three more times and my answer was 100. It was only the fourth time did I reduced my 'hoity-ness' and asked him... how much do you want?.. he said "Atleast give 150"... then I said..no 110! then 120!.. and then again a series of "Last bolo", followed by my shrewd walkout!..... even though he was ready to sell it for 120! (imagine... 550 going 120?)... But why didn't I buy it??!!
.... Because I did not want it!! I was getting bored of shopping and eating bhel puri and drinking three glasses of lemonades, I decided to have some fun!
P.S: Don't ever try this! they have friends in the next shop, so if you happen to actually like something and want to buy it, they will counter-attack you! I was saved because I was done with my shopping!
Fashion street was my first and final outing in Mumbai, since we were all totally occupied with my birthday plan to Shirdi ( I am too lazy to type it out now) and our return to Karnataka! And then it all follwed with my cousin's wedding, Jeejaji's ragging and a sad return to Bangalore!
Mumbai trip has sure rekindled the childhood memories that were stored in my mind's closet, however with a bit of maturity, since I could travel alone!!
