Creation

As I stepped out from Rajdhani Express, I still felt like I was being rocked in a cradle after the long twenty hours train journey from New Delhi to Mumbai. The humid air clung to my body. I felt the sticky sweat of the crowd against my arm as they brushed hurriedly against me. I finally managed to pull myself out of the mad rush and got into a taxi.

"Where you go madam?", asked the cab driver. I was completely drenched with exhaust and I began to mumble, "Northern...." but I stopped. I was suddenly overwhelmed with lust to explore the city. I asked him if he could drive me around Mumbai. "I going to take extra money", said the driver.

It was the time of dusk, and the buildings slowly began to light up as the driver struggled through the traffic. Everyone seemed to be in a haste and i sought to descry Mumbai outside of the taxi.

The driver finally pulled the car over. "Marine drive this is. All people in Mumbai loving this place. More rich people here." As I looked at the sea, my mind got rid of everything else. The sea stood still in its serenity. The city was moving but it was only the sea that wasn't in a rush to reach a conclusion. The string of lights semi-circled the sea and I sat there just absorbing its beauty.

After sitting there for more than half an hour, I finally got up to leave. I asked the driver, "Is this the real Mumbai?" He laughed and said, "Mumbai is two. One rich people Mumbai. One poor people Mumbai." I decided to see the Mumbai of the poor.

The place where the driver took me next looked dirty and shabby. People were screaming at each other. A young mother was dragging her naked son with a stick in her hand. I was frightened with the roving eyes of men on me. In a corner a young boy was selling tea and noodles. "This called a Dhaba", said the driver. I somehow couldn't bring myself to eat from him. So after looking around for about five minutes, we left.

After driving me for about an hour more, we reached northern Mumbai and I got ready to leave the taxi. "People saying dreams coming true in Mumbai. Mumbai never sleeping. Morning, night always not sleeping. Both poor and rich Mumbai beautiful no?", asked the driver. I smiled and said, "Yes! Mumbai beautiful, me- its beholder."