A heart winning journey to the unknown culture of Mumbai, India

Travelling a 1000 miles, as I got down the long distance train with a trunk in one hand, suitcase in other and a rucksack on my back, I felt a little concerned to ask for way around the Bandra Terminus, landmark of Mumbai, India. Having grown up in a small town hearing many stories of people being duped and ill treated in Mumbai, I was tense and cautious. Taking a cab to nearby local station, armed with a ticket, I barged in the next local train arriving on the platform. Tense and cautious, I entered with bag ‘n baggage right ahead in the already full passenger compartment blocking most of the way in and out from that door. I was battered with glances & stares full of anger & contempt which to me reflected the inhumanness of the city full of people who are unhelpful and non interactive as told in stories of the most famous city of India – the country with many cultures.

Few years later, to my horror I got a good job opportunity in Mumbai. Being in early career, I couldn’t let it pass. The same city with stories of insensitivity to un-helpfulness to money mindedness was now my city. Each day was my journey into the unknown culture of Mumbai! And I fell in love with the city with all its nuisances of traffic, typical dialect of language, hardcore professionalism ET all. My enthusiasm to do more than possible in a day kept me working late and most of the time I ended up taking a cab back home as local trains stop between 1am to 4 am. I was surprised to see that whichever cab I took, once guiding the driver to destination, the bill would be more or less same whether I’m awake or sleeping. Such was the unexpected honesty shown by cab drivers regarding taking the shortest possible route. When route to the place you want to go is dotted with traffic jams (so common in Mumbai!), the cab driver will always ask you before taking a detour through less congested route. So much so for duping one who doesn’t know the city.

Every day journey in the local train used by millions to get to work gave a different insight into the public culture. I was amazed to see people take the same train everyday when there’s a train every 4-5 minutes. Getting in & out is a technique in the overcrowded local and it’s a miracle that rarely anyone gets hurt in the process. Anyone hanging out will have a couple of hands of strangers around him just enough to make sure he doesn’t fall. Best trick I’ve seen is how people sleeping in their seats wake up & get out just in nick of time, every time to get down at the correct station on the correct side of the platform.

So, I’ve come to discover that the culture of the city and its people is being professional, remaining human!