Let me count the ways…

Life has come full circle from ten years ago – when I moved to Bombay, job in hand, PG room in Khar, four-figured salary (gasp! what will I do with all that money? and my own visiting card with my own name!) – and nights out in what used to be called ‘town’ (still is?).

The routine was this – movie at Sterling – no, not the aseptic multiplex it is today but the gorgeous old theatre, the only one with caramel popcorn in those days. And those broad dirty steps; sit on them waiting to be let in, and catch up with half the world as you know it. Dinner at Crystal, juice / ice-cream at Bachelor’s and a walk-run through the narrow lane behind it leading to Charni Road station for the last train home. In case of a late night show, the sprint to Churchgate for ditto.

I remembered all this late, very late one night in mid May. Marine Drive. Dinner at Crystal (ah, but that deserves a post in itself – soon), fresh mango with ice-cream at Bachelor’s (sin can be such fun – and so yummy), drive along the stretch, windows down, sea breeze on the face and staring at the stars lying down on the sea wall in front of the Hilton. No movie at Sterling, no train ride back but all the rest of it.

[under the stars]

Under the stars

[Bachelor joys]

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[fruit at one in the night]

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[flyover gossip]

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[waiting for a ride]

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[ghoda ghari – as they say]

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[way past midnight]

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Two in the morning – man alone on the bus top in front of VT, reading a newspaper… When does this city ever sleep?

newspaper

And how can anyone not love this city?

***

More Bombay :

Winter in Bombay
Scenes from Worli seaface

4 comments

  1. Nice to see an update! Hope you are better now!
    Yes, the city that never sleeps – Bombay. It so typically represents many facets of our country. I am reminded of the book India – A Million Mutinies Now by VS Naipaul.
    Sathej

  2. great 😐 and what did i do to deserve this? you have made me miss bombay all over again :-((

    i too sometimes caught the last train home.
    love the pictures 🙂 *siiigghhhh…*

  3. hi. I have shifted from Mumbai to DELHI!!!! Well, I did not have much choice so shifted to this place along with my hubby dearest. I will be completing good two years here but as days pass by more I fall in love with amchi mumbai…and after reading your entry, I just want to take that first flight to Mumbai…sighhhhhhh…missing you Mumbai & its spirit

  4. This is my first time here. And here I am sitting in my office with tears in my eyes after reading your post about bombay.

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