Mumbai Calling?

When I first sat down to write an article titled this way, I had more than a week’s stay left in Indore. I had enjoyed my stay and work so far and never really felt upset or terribly homesick. But of course I missed Mumbai. Even before this second stint to Indore I remember being comfortable about coming to a familiar place, to familiar people again and yet feeling a tinge of sadness for leaving Mumbai, especially right before my birthday.

That moment, at Indore I was missing Mumbai a lot for some reason. I am a true blue Mumbaikar – born and raised in Mumbai, lived there almost my entire life so far. So everything – right from the traffic, local trains, crowd, rush – everything feels mine. I may not have seen all the tourist sites that people come from far off for, but the everyday Mumbai sights that I have grown up watching are my solace. I may not have spotted a celebrity in some posh locality, but I have had the thrill of meeting a long lost friend unexpectedly. I may not have tried the best eateries in town, but I have enjoyed the satiation of that one hot wada pav from a roadside cart. And I thought about all my memories in Mumbai in my free time at the hotel.

But now the Indore stint is over, I am back to Mumbai. And suddenly Mumbai doesn’t feel all that attractive and ravishing anymore. As I go through my routine in Mumbai I am unconsciously trying to find events, places familiar to my Indore experiences. Working, and staying physically in Mumbai, my mind is mostly roaming in the markets of Indore with my DSRs and boss, lazing around in that cozy hotel lounge, room and restaurant or sitting in the office chatting with my team.

What was it that brought me so close to this city that I started preferring it over Mumbai? It may be a temporary phase. Had I been there for 2-3 months more I would probably have found the schedule monotonous and boring. Staying on your own, away from family for that long isn’t easy. But in the state of mind I am in currently, that seems an attractive proposition.

It is often said about Mumbai that once you have lived in Mumbai, no city is good enough. I used to think that’s the ultimate truth. But my experience in Indore now forces me to disprove that statement. There was mutual acceptance of each other between Indore and myself. Despite the pathetic traffic conditions, sad night life and bad market condition I grew to love the city. Not just love but also get adjusted to the city as easily as if it were mine. It could be because of the work that I enjoyed doing, the amazing people that I could work with, the lavish treatment I got from the hotel or generally the people of Indore I met who were so friendly and helpful that I had to admit that this city is a fierce competition for Mumbai (in my perception at least). Towards the end of my stay, I felt as pained about leaving this city and the people as I had when I first left Mumbai for Indore the first time. I left a part of myself there, and made Indore a home in my heart forever.

But this isn’t only about Indore. It is about our perceptions and bias. Generally we are so wrapped up and biased in our love for our own city that we fail to see the beauty of other places. There is a perception that no other city is good enough as our home town. But the fact is, once you decide to accept the city and its way of life, the city responds in kind. It gives you all kinds of experiences – the good and the bad that you start adjusting to that way of life, till unknown to yourself it becomes your way of life. You start loving the city along with its flaws and defend it against critics like you would do for your own.

I don’t know if I will ever get a chance to visit Indore and meet all those people again. But I do know that Indore feels like second home to me now. And I also know that no matter which city, which country and what conditions, I can make any city feel like home if I allow myself to love and accept it from my heart. All cities are good enough, the difference lies in your perception.