... meri jaan

Bade farewell to Mumbai. Usually when i am relocating from a city, the last few days are a terrible mess. Lot of formalities to be completed, luggage to be packed, people to meet etc. I sometimes get so wound up in these chores that i can barely remember the last few days once i leave the place. Mumbai was nearly the same, but a small instance just went on to show how different the city was from the rest.

I said my goodbyes to my friends near the hostel gate. The rickshaw with my luggage was waiting from me. We were in tears as my friends said bye to me. I gave a final wave and the rick went ahead. I just kept staring ahead thinking bout college and my friends. After few minutes of silence the rickshaw driver turns around and says

' Are u leaving Mumbai for good, is your college over?'

I was not in a mood for small talk and was piqued but answered in the affirmative.

And then he says: ' Aap logon ko rona dekkhe mujhe bhi rona aaa gaya. ' He asked me how i felt about leaving mumbai. So we went on speaking. He told me bout his first time in mumbai. He asked me where i was going next. When i told him 'Delhi', he told me to take care as its very different from mumbai. Then he went on about mumbai police, his hometown, the mela in his village of gorakhpur, his friends etc. And before i knew we had reached the airport. I thanked him as i bid adieu and he turns and tells me ' Maine aapka rona band kiya na mere bak bak se... agar aap kabhi mumbai ke baare main sochengi tho, is auto driver khi bhi yaad karna jisne aapko airport pahunchaaya' and he goes of.

That was my final impression of mumbai. He stood for many things that was Mumbai. He stood for not caring about carrying your heart on your sleeves, for bonhomie amongst strangers and the vitality that makes up its soul. I shall miss it and its roads.