Life in Mumbai may just be like the life in some other city, or your city from outside. It’s just the same different people living well almost together, struggling to find their way, striving to make life better. They do have the differences, negatives and ways. But living in this city makes you realise how not so similar it is to every place in this world. How so many people from different cultures, states and countries can call this one city their home?
On the world map Mumbai is nothing more than a small dot on the eastern side. It’s said to be even smaller than that, that it’s made of combined seven islands. And probably that’s where every resident gets one quality, unity, which may not seem significant, but its buried deep inside and nothing can reach there. Be it travelling in the same crowded local trains, sharing a flat with some strangers due to tight budgets or standing up together during terrorist attacks, people embrace this city and its residents.
For every person the day starts early, anywhere between 5:30am to 7:00am. They get ready or help others to get ready to leave for work, school, etc. students face immense pressure of studies and competition while professionals to build and enhance their career. Travelling is more than time consuming be it the traffic of vehicles on roads or people in local modes of transport. After a day’s struggle, for professional doing the work of one and a half man, the cities night atmosphere is what it is popular for. If time permits, everyone rushes to malls, beaches, seashores, theatres, restaurants and clubs. Life here is not very social for a common man due to work pressure but at this time it’s all about them, their fun and being with the people they like. In this city sleep is the first major sacrifice a person gives to achieve their dreams.
The cities essence lies in it the way lacks of people travel by local trains and during their journey make friends irrespective of the differences. About people hanging from the train gates to save that one minute and not be late. Here life is about how people mix the high end branded clothes with high street fashion. It’s about the long queues at bus stops, an untold but embraced rule. It’s about seeing slums around posh locations even airport.
It’s about gathering on public places just enjoying at night in cool sea breeze. It’s about gathering g together for cricket matches even on screens at your workplace. It’s about eating at roadside stalls with as much love for the food as that of a hotel. It’s about walking on the street with confidence that no one is judging you. It’s about the beautiful scene you see outside you window if you live on higher floors. It’s about the assurance that no matter what the time you will definitely get an auto at least. It’s about the undeserted roads even at 3:00am. It’s the celebration on roads when the national cricket team wins a match or a festival. It’s about the dabbawalas and the tiffins they get for so many working people. It’s about the madness for ganesh chatudashi. About long traffic jams and the six inch gap between cars. It’s about the beauty of streetlights. About the local markets and the bargaining there. about marine drive, chowpatty, juhu beach, bandstand , late night movie shows, college fests, linking road, colaba causeway, fashion street, crawford market , malls and the sales there and so many other things.
Mumbai is the city of dreams; life in this city is not just about work. Life here is about following your dreams. Thousands of people come every month in search for their future their dreams. There’s a reason why it is called the commercial capital of India or the city is just so popular. And for ti there needs to be an amazing life in there. There’s a reason why so many people come here, live here and almost none ever go back. And the same reason is why all do call themselves mumbaikars and the city aamchi Mumbai. And i guess the reason is “life in Mumbai’.