tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38707752567395253882023-11-15T09:00:24.529-08:00Ek cutting chai - The spirit of Mumbaicomfortably numbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769031000442517211noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870775256739525388.post-22621007547325548672012-06-26T11:10:00.000-07:002012-06-28T06:17:00.481-07:00The Spirit of Mumbai – Part II (The Sea)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #d5a6bd;"><em>(Photos coming soon....)</em></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hari still remembers distinctly, that day imbibed so strongly in his memories, rather, that evening though he would go to any extent to jettison these sweet recollections. Not because he was afraid or because the nostalgia inflicted pain; he had buried it long back and had moved on, but…but that very evening was something else, it was an oddity in his erstwhile colourless life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hari gets high very easily and every time we are on <strong>Marine Drive</strong> after a session with the bottle bundled with head banging at the <strong>‘Jazz By the Bay’</strong>, it requires very less prodding, provoking and nagging to get that detailed technicolor story out of Hari; the story that still gives him that tingling feeling, still brings forth the sweat of nervousness though today he stands to be the </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Best Regards,</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Manager, Marketing…</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of one of the most competitive firms.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Almost after a decade, 10 years post that evening, down with a couple of pegs of <strong>‘Royal Stag’</strong> and elevated by the flashback I had managed to provoked, I hear the same experience yet all over again – alcohol can work wonders </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>‘Kaun kambakht gum bhoolane ke liye peeta hai, </strong></em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>hum to peete hain ke nashe me kahin unka deedar hi ho jaaye'</strong></em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">I know all of it much before he starts but his recollections are fun!! He blurts "<em><span style="color: #e69138;">Saala sab badal <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">gaya</city></place> hai</span></em>, every f**king thing has changed. You remember what <span style="color: #e69138;"><em>paploos</em>, <em>pyjama chhaps</em></span> we were during college days –</span> <em><span style="color: #e69138;">Shakal ke bhooke, akkal ke bhooke, har cheez ke bhooke</span></em> (</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">This was a dialogue from <strong>Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander</strong>, one of our favorite movies)".</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">I act pissed off and say "</span><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Lukkhe, tereko chhad gayi</span></em></span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">, you are drunk; what I am asking and what you are saying. If you can’t take it, why do you drink?"</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><em><span style="color: #e69138;">"Lukkha tera baap!",</span></em> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">he retorts, hicks "Yes, I am coming to your point you jerk, you get enjoyment out of it, isn’t it? No she’s not in touch, why should she be? Why should she call? Rachu and I parted almost 9 years back, how time passes". Her name was Rachna. "</span><span style="color: #e69138;"><em>Arre</em></span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">, you <em><span style="color: #e69138;">toh</span></em> know, we were together only for about a year. </span><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Saala</span></em><span style="color: #3d85c6;">, I know what you want to hear, you dumb fucker! I really don’t know how I managed it or how <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Sandy</city></place> managed it, but thanks to you guys <em><span style="color: #e69138;">yaar</span></em> for all you did for me". <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Sandy</city></place> had fixed up the dreaded romantic date between the two. These two, Hari and Rachna were no match, Violet and Red, the two extremes of the rainbow who needed all the yellows and oranges and indigo to bring them together.</span> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rachna, a</span> <em><span style="color: #e69138;">pakka</span></em> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">tomboy, verily insouciant, wore shorts, wore bathroom slippers to college, smoked filter less <strong>Charminaars</strong> – don’t get them here, in the US of white skinned Arses, she wrote to us; she’s settled there now with her husband (I feel like a lesbian with this jerk</span> <em><span style="color: #e69138;">yaar</span></em></span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">, she wrote after she got there) and is the mother of 2 brown kids (my kids friends ogle at them as if they were 2 brown chicks in a storks nest, the jerks, she wrote).</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Hari was the boring intellectual, not your regular</span> <em><span style="color: #e69138;">kitaabi keeda</span></em></span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">, but born with that irritating intelligence, that know all ability, who knew why gravity existed, why <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">India</place></country-region> should go nuclear, why water had 2 molecules of hydrogen and 1 of oxygen and why and how the molecules mated. However, matters didn’t rest there; the guy had a heart too!! And it palpitated for Rachna!! Well, that’s enough of a descriptive, let’s not get into the pre-event and cut to the scene…</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #e69138;">LIGHTS</span><span style="color: #e69138;">, CAMERA….REACTION!!</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"We were sitting there, <em><span style="color: #e69138;">arre</span></em> where is <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><strong>Marine</placename> <placetype w:st="on">Plaza</strong>, there it is, we were sitting there", he pointed. "The <place w:st="on">Queens</place> face was lost somewhere in the darkness of the sea, Rachu and I became a part of her body, two small negligible moles on her neck. All that shone in the darkness of the night and in the brightness of the moonlight was the <place w:st="on">Queens</place> necklace, a pride that the she, Mumbai adorned every single night. Rachu was wearing light blue jeans, torn at the knee on one leg, the cloth in shreds at her heels, she was wearing one of those green and white <strong>Action</strong> sports shoes. She had on her a plain white linen T-shirt with a little ship sailing across her stomach. Like the wind-cock, her unkempt hair swayed and showed the direction of the wind. She looked pretty <em><span style="color: #e69138;">yaar</span></em>, very pretty!!"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could see it in his eyes that he was already there; sailing on Rachu’s little ship, far away on the waves of that evening of his erstwhile boring life. His gaze was transfixed at the horizon, at the twinkling ships in the distance but he wasn’t looking.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">He resumed with a contorted face, "</span><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Saala sa badal <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">gaya</place></city> hai.</span></em> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">This marketing job has changed me. Today I use and abuse my clients, my team, my wife, my kids; but that day….that day I was nearly shitting in my pants out of fear and nervousness. I felt like disappearing somehow and relieving myself somewhere hidden between the tetra pads."</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Ya, and plunge into the sea to wash your arse, right", I interrupted.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><em>"Chhup be ch**ye"</em></span></span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">, he jabbed and then </span><span style="color: #e69138;">"</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><em>Saayng"</em></span> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">his shouted breaking the reverie, startling me.</span> <span style="color: #e69138;">"</span><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Ka ho, kaisan ba"</span></em><span style="color: #3d85c6;">, he mocked the young <strong>bhaiya</strong></span> <em><span style="color: #e69138;">"Do paach ka de"</span></em><span style="color: #3d85c6;">. The chap made two small long conical jokers hats and filled them with handful of groundnuts baked in the sand. "</span><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Saala sab badal <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">gaya</place></city> hai!</span></em> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">Earlier, we used to get this quantity in 1 Re, now the bugger charges 5", he said. Not satisfied with the groundnuts, he made that disrespectful longish sound which is the trademark of every Mumbaikar,</span> <em><span style="color: #e69138;">"Pooonch"</span></em><span style="color: #3d85c6;">, as if calling a dog. "Want some coffee??" he asked as I removed my pack of cigarettes offering him one. It was 2 in the night and the place was swarming with activity as if this was the last living day on earth. Another</span> <em><span style="color: #e69138;">bhaiyaji</span></em> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">had responded to his call and as he brought his cycle closer to us, Hari said</span> <em><span style="color: #e69138;">"Chotte do coffee bana, tabiyat se banana"</span></em><span style="color: #3d85c6;">. This </span><em><span style="color: #e69138;">chotte</span></em> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">happened to be a fully grown man (<strong>WARNING:</strong> Alcohol gives you an impaired vision) who had at the least put 40 years behind him, wearing a</span> <em><span style="color: #e69138;">lungi</span></em> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">and a</span> <em><span style="color: #e69138;">baniyan</span></em> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">and an unshaven chin. The </span><em><span style="color: #e69138;">bhaiyaji</span></em> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">didn’t react, put his cycle on it’s stand, poured milk from the small steel container balanced and tied down to his carrier into two tiny plastic cups without handles, coffee powder already being present in the cups. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">When the</span> <em><span style="color: #e69138;">bhaiyaji</span></em> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">was gone, he continued "I didn’t know what to say, twitching and being tormented by myself, by her, by the whole world; I didn’t have the courage to glance at her, I was sweating like hell. The only thing that held me in place was the calmness of the sea, it's waves waving and ensuring that this feeling, this absurd feeling was just normal!! Rachu was as indifferent as always, in fact she was the one who broke the ice, she said</span> <em><span style="color: #e69138;">"Bol" </span></em><span style="color: #3d85c6;">and I quivered</span> <em><span style="color: #e69138;">"Kya bolu"</span></em> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">and she said "Mind if I smoke" and I wanted to say "Please don’t" but ended up saying "Yes" and she said "So mind!!" and coolly brought out her pack of</span> <strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Charminars</span></strong>….<em><span style="color: #e69138;">saali adiyal!!"</span></em>. "<em><span style="color: #e69138;">Yaar</span></em><span style="color: #3d85c6;">, why do you drink <strong>Royal</strong> <strong>Stag</strong>, bloody</span> <em><span style="color: #e69138;">chaprasi</span></em></span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">, you should drink single malt, it’s….."</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where did Royal Stag and single malt come from?? Well, what happened later, I know and you don’t need to; but Hari says when he finally managed to pop the question, it started to <strong>RAIN</strong>!!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">But then, this isn’t just the story of Hari and Rachna, the sea reverberates similar tales of the thousands of love hungry, high on testosterone couples, the righteous rebels of the city, the keepers of faith in that word called <span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>‘LOVE’</strong></span>. The euphoric dance of the sea, the symphonic orchestration of the waves lends them an outlet to emote, to sing their songs without fear, gives them that inexplicable strength in the heart, coaxing them, cajoling them to keep the romance alive at least at that tender, confusing and insouciant age of helplessness. The quite and secretive exchange of the waves and the stars at the horizon, the gentle breeze, the glancing into nothingness infuses that tingling happy feeling deep in the pit of the stomach. The sea has witnessed the swaying of lovingly held hands, many a promises made, many vows broken, many a tear drop being shed on its wet face.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Be it the open stage of the <strong>Marine Drive</strong> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">or the <strong>Worli sea face</strong>, or the hideous rocks of <strong>Bandstand</strong>, Mumbai’s sea has cuddled and sang lullabies to the city’s love birds, lust birds. It has seen them kissing and hugging even on the hottest summer afternoon and it has seen them deceitfully compromising under one umbrella, soaked and shivering in the silvery wet torrents of the skies. Mumbai’s sea has gleamed at the row of couples sitting only a few feet apart, oblivious to and unperturbed by worldly worries. It has felt shame when the unending game of the eyes and heart, the reverie being broken unceremoniously by the frightening chorus of <span style="color: #e69138;"><em>“Eh Raju, dus rupya de re, teri shaadi ho, bache ho…..”</em> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">from the</span> <strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;">chakkas</span></strong> </span>or the disturbing </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><em>“ Saheb bhookh lagi hai, paanch rupya do babu, wada paav khaana hai”</em></span> from the numerous beggars or the bullying <span style="color: #e69138;"><em>“Chala chala nighaa, ghari jaa…eh kya karta hai idhar, andar daalu kya, baap ko bolu kya”</em> <span style="color: #3d85c6;">from the</span> <em>mamas</em></span>.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the sea, the <place w:st="on"><strong>Arabian Sea</strong></place> isn’t a relief only for the couples; Mumbai belongs to the sea and the sea belongs to Mumbai; and why not?? It is the sea that brought the city to existence. The present day city was built on what was originally an archipelago of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_islands_of_Mumbai" title="Seven islands of Mumbai"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">seven islands</span></span></a><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Bombay" title="Isle of Bombay"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Bombay Island</strong></em></span></span></a><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>, </strong></em></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parel" title="Parel"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Parel</strong></em></span></span></a><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>, </strong></em></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazagaon" title="Mazagaon"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Mazagaon</strong></em></span></span></a><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>, </strong></em></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahim" title="Mahim"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Mahim</strong></em></span></span></a><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>, </strong></em></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colaba" title="Colaba"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Colaba</strong></em></span></span></a><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>, </strong></em></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worli" title="Worli"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Worli</strong></em></span></span></a><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>, and </strong></em></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Woman%27s_Island" title="Old Woman's Island"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Old Woman's Island</strong></em></span></span></a><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong> (also known as Little Colaba)</strong></em>. The islands were coalesced into a single landmass by the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornby_Vellard" title="Hornby Vellard"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Hornby Vellard</strong></span></span></a><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> engineering project in 1784. By 1000 BCE, the region was heavily involved in seaborne commerce with </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt" title="Egypt"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Egypt</span></span></a><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persia" title="Persia"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Persia</span></span></a><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"> (Source:</span> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Mumbai" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a><span style="color: #a64d79;">).</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <strong>Gateway of India</strong>, erected to commemorate the landing on the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Bunder" title="Apollo Bunder"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Apollo Bunder</strong></span></span></a><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> of their Majesties </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_V_of_the_United_Kingdom" title="George V of the United Kingdom"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>King George V</strong></span></span></a><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_of_Teck" title="Mary of Teck"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Queen Mary</strong></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> when they visited India in 1911 and overlooking the sea, the <strong>Taj Hotel </strong>are the city’s biggest tourist attractions. The city boasts of a mosque and <strong>durgah</strong> in the middle of its sea, <strong>Haji Ali</strong>, off the coast of <place w:st="on"><strong>Worli</place></strong>. A ferry ride on the sea from <strong>Gateway</strong> takes you to a getaway, <strong>Mandwa, Alibaug</strong>, made famous by <strong>Amitabh Bachan</strong> as <strong>Vijay Dinnanath Chauhan</strong> – <em><span style="color: #e69138;">pura naam, haaain</span></em> – in the movie <strong>Agneepath</strong></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <strong>Kolis</strong> were the first inhabitants of this island. The sea is worshipped during <strong>Nariyal Purnima</strong>. On this day, an offering of a coconut (<strong>naral</strong> in </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathi_language" title="Marathi language"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marathi</span></span></a><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) is made to the sea, as a mark of respect to <strong>Lord Varuna</strong>, the God of the Sea. <strong>Narali Purnima</strong> marks the beginning of the fishing season and the fishermen, who depend on the sea for a living, make an offering to <strong>Lord Varuna</strong> so that they can reap bountiful fish from the sea.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial;"> You should see the sea come alive to the cutest of all Gods, <strong>Lord Ganesha</strong> during <em><span style="color: #e69138;">visarjan</span></em> time - thousands of happy and dancing devotees, <span style="color: #e69138;"><em>raths, taals and dholaks, nasik</em></span> band, shlokas, mantras and the sweet <em><span style="color: #e69138;">aartis</span></em>, the pinkish orangish <em><span style="color: #e69138;">gulaal</span></em> floating in the air everywhere, colourful faces, no religion, no differences, the huge huge idols of the Lord - as we bid farewell to the Lord and the sea carries his home, only to return the next year with more pomp and celebration.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial;"><strong> <span style="color: magenta;">GANPATTI BAPPA MOURYA, FUDCHYA VARSHI LAVKAR YA !!</span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Sipping on hot coffee from the mobile <strong>coffee wallahs</strong>, slurping on <strong>kulfis</strong> or <strong>faloodas</strong>, taking turns to sink your teeth into the charcoal cooked, <em><span style="color: #e69138;">mirchi</span></em> laden <strong>makka</strong> (corn) – <em><span style="color: #e69138;">“bhaiya thoda aur nimbu lagaana”</span></em>, eating hot <strong>bhajiyas</strong> and <strong>pakodas</strong>, or satiating on <em><span style="color: #e69138;">chana jor garams</span></em> or <em><span style="color: #e69138;">teekha</span></em> <strong>bhels</strong> or simply sipping on coconut water by the sea and guffawing with your college pals or having some rubbish thoughtful intellectual life talks or just walking hand in hand, swearing, making <em><span style="color: #e69138;">jeene marne ki kasme</span></em> or just taking that boat ride to change your point of view, our sea is our pride, our glory. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>We may not religiously pay a visit to the sea everyday, but there would not be a single Mumbaikar who hasn’t had the pleasure of having a rendezvous with the creator of this city.</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, by the way, Hari swore that he wasn’t aroused when the two of them were soaked, <strong>"true love"</strong> he said, but Rachna’s version claimed that he couldn’t get his eyes off…...!! That year, the <strong>lagaan</strong> guys didn’t call the rains, Hari did!!</span></span></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial;">Places in Mumbai where you get a glimpse of the sea:</span></strong></div>
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<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">Gateway of India, Apollo Bunder</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">Marine Drive</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">Worli sea face</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">Bandstand, Bandra</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">Juhu Beach</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">Girgaum Chowpatti</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">Haji Ali</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">Gorai Beach</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">Arnala Beach</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">Aksa Beach</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">Versova</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">Madh Island</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">Manori Beach</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">Marve Beach</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">Sewri Jetty</span></li>
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</div>comfortably numbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769031000442517211noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870775256739525388.post-38247494578499067852012-06-19T05:15:00.004-07:002012-06-19T09:47:39.259-07:00The Spirit of Mumbai - Part I<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s raining heavily and these are not the pre-monsoon showers. The monsoons have finally arrived after a long hiatus. Even the growling and deafening thunders are unable to scare the kids as they splash and soil each other. What a contrast, when the sky turns gloomy, its happier time for the earthlings.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Listening to the roar from the murky clouds and watching the canvas gradually changing, I go into that contemplative mood which is enhanced and influenced by a cup of steaming hot coffee and my hands stretched through the grill on my window to feel the drops of rain. Watching the children play in the hastily built up puddles and the amazingly hurried spread of green everywhere, what better could I think of than the long hovering thought of what keeps this city happy, always on its feet through the best and the worst??</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mumbai!! Mumbai (though I still like Bombay better), the city whose belly is increasing by the day, with hordes of arrivals and almost no departures; much sooner than later will this once lean, handsome and glamorous city, now grown into that middle aged pot bellied clerk of a city burst its boundaries.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So why do I love this city and why do the thousands having home here do?? Unfortunately I was not born in this city, but have spent my whole life in its arms since childhood. Do I love it because the city is all I have always seen and felt, or because unknowingly it has been my first preceptor for the lesson of life, maybe because I have seen the city, heard the city change through its thousand faces, the journey of expressions that never ceases to exhaust?</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Life In The Fast Lane</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If I happen to compare the city with my hometown (parents town), Kolkata, a sarcastic smile appears at the foolishness of the attempt. Buying a cigarette at the local shops in Kolkata would take you at least 5 minutes with repeated reminders to the old shopkeeper in his <span style="color: #cc0000;">lungi</span> and <span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">baniyan</span> </span>or <span style="color: #cc0000;">gamcha</span> as he convincingly ignores you and resolutely carries on with his irritable and useless talk of politics with his few other, ‘nothing to do’ers’. If you hand him a 100 rupee note, he will abuse you, if you hand him a 500 rupee note, maybe he will come after you with a stick. </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Drop the curtain and raise it here in Mumbai, where the <span style="color: #cc0000;">annas</span>, <span style="color: #cc0000;">chachas</span>, <span style="color: #cc0000;">bhaiyajis</span> and <span style="color: #cc0000;">maharajs</span> juggle with at least 20 odd brands of not only cigarettes but your <span style="color: #cc0000;">Goas</span> and <span style="color: #cc0000;">patakka</span> <span style="color: #cc0000;">biddis</span> and <span style="color: #cc0000;">dhana daals</span> and <span style="color: #cc0000;">Milan supaaris</span>; efficiently managing the <span style="color: #cc0000;">calcuttas</span> and <span style="color: #cc0000;">banarasis</span>. They know you by your faces and before you have your hands in your pockets to get the <span style="color: #cc0000;">chillar</span> out; your order has been delivered. Even with 10-15 customers at the same time, they patiently go through the ordeal like the most adept of jugglers. Our shopkeepers don’t go for their evening naps, closing their shops the entire afternoon, bringing the city to a standstill. There is no time to waste in Mumbai.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">We get up in the morning and hurry to catch probably the same train we take every day. We work; sometimes have a good day, sometimes bad but that doesn’t deter us from worrying about the train back home. Being able to get in the train is an achievement, being able to grab a seat is a blessing, reaching home safely to see your family after precariously balancing and juggling through numerous trains, buses, rickshaws and various other modes of transport signifies a successful day!! The city doesn’t give you time to think. Forget thinking about your life, forget thinking about that blissful state and about Nirvana; if you can eat your dinner, watch a bit of TV, have a quick round of sex and sleep to get up early the next day, you are lucky. Most would say that this is a disgusting way to live life, but Mumbaikars believe in living for the moment, accepting and doing the best of what is available.</span> <span style="color: #a64d79;">WE ARE LIKE THIS ONLY!!</span> <span style="color: #38761d;">We go by the Johnie Walker tagline</span> <span style="color: #a64d79;">‘KEEP WALKING’!!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Monotype Corsiva';"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>idhar daud hai, udhar daud hai, ye jina yaaro daud hai</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Monotype Corsiva';"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>koyi aage hai, koyi pichhe hai, bas bhaagam-bhaag hai daud hai</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Monotype Corsiva';"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>paison ki hai daud kahin, pyaar ke pichhe daud kahin</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Monotype Corsiva';"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>daud…danaadan daud</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Monotype Corsiva';"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>duniya hai divaani kaisi hai bechaini</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Monotype Corsiva';"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>har koyi to kuchh na kuchh chakkar mein hai</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Monotype Corsiva';"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>jaise chuunti ka dil saara shakkar mein hai</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Monotype Corsiva';"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>daud…danaadan daud</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">…..to be continued</span></b></div>
</div>comfortably numbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769031000442517211noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870775256739525388.post-87554928474912076412012-06-11T10:52:00.000-07:002012-06-26T11:23:23.275-07:00Bideshini - A song by Tagore<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #bf9000;">No this blog isn't about chai, it isn't about Mumbai as well...funny!!</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;">Well, have been thinking and thinking about that precious perfect blog about Mumbai, but the wait has been too long and no breathtaking thought has come my way, so chai?? Baarish ka season hai, kettli pe rakha hai, Parle G kharidke rakha hai...thoda aur intezaar!! and Mumbai?? always in my heart, bas thoda upar dimaag me aana baaki hai!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000;">Cleaning my shelf, I happened to chance upon the DVD of Charulata, a Bengali classic by Satyajit Ray. I love the movie and the simplicity, sutleness and depth of the charachters in the divine direction of the great stalwart. But this article is about a song in the movie by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore....have been hearing the song almost everyday since then, just fell in love with the melody of the music and innocence of the lyrics. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Ami chini go chini tomare o go bideshini</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Tumi thaako shindhu paare o go bideshini</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Tomay Dekhechi sharodo-praate</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Tomay Dekhechi madhobi-raate </span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Tomay Dekhechi hride majhare</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">O go videshini</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Ami aakashe patiya kaan</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Sunechi sunechi tomare gaan</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Ami tomare sopechi praan</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">O go videshini</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Bhubhon bhramiya sheshe</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Ami ayeshechi nooton deshe</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Ami otithi tomare daare</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">O go videshini</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Ami chini go chini tomare</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">O go videshini.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Here is a simple translation of this beautiful song!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000;">I know you, I recognise you, oh foreign lady</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;">You stay far, across the Sindhu (Indus), oh foreign lady</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;"></span><span style="color: #bf9000;"> </span><span style="color: #bf9000;">I have seen you in the autumnal morning,</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;">I have seen you in the sweet, intoxicating night,</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;">I have seen you deep in the bottom of my heart</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;">Oh lady of the foreign land</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;"></span><span style="color: #bf9000;"> </span><span style="color: #bf9000;">With my ears glued to the sky,</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;">I have heard, I have heard only your songs,</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;">I have handed my life in your hands,</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;">Oh foreign lady</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;"> </span><span style="color: #bf9000;">At the end of my journey around the world,</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;">I have come to a completely new country,</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;">I am a guest at your gates,</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;">Oh lady of the foreign land....</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;"> </span><span style="color: #bf9000;">I know you, I recognise you, oh foreign lady</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;">You stay far, across the Sindhu, oh foreign lady</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;"></span><br /><span style="color: #e69138;">I cannot resist myself giving MY interpretation of this innocent and beautiful lyrical. So this is my take on the song, here it goes...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">I feel Tagore has written this as an ode to the Goddess. The 'bideshini' in this song is none other than the beautiful, caring and mighty Goddess. He expresses that he knows this sweet mother in every form and can see Her everywhere. Though She stays far away from us mortals (across the Sindhu), She is omnipresent.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Tagore sees Her, feels Her presence in the cool and serene autumnal mornings, he sees Her in the darkness of the night too, he sees Her presence in the deepest core of his heart (As they say, God resides in every heart).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">The poet listens to the sounds of the skies with keen attention, in the sounds he can hear the beautiful poetic composition and songs of the divine. Tagore says that he has devoted, surrendered himself completely to the Supreme Being.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">He says that at the end of his journey - the journey of life, being in and experiencing different people and countries, he has now finally arrived at the gates of Heaven, a completely new land, the Mothers country.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Maybe Tagore wants to convey the common folly of us mortals who perceive that God is far away from us whereas he is present everywhere and resides in our heart....we just need to <strong>KNOW</strong> and <strong>REALIZE</strong>!!</span><br />
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</div>comfortably numbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769031000442517211noreply@blogger.com0