Mumbai - true magic!
The moment you enter, the surroundings and people remind you of childhood memories associated with the place. Its simply amazing just imagining how a place can give so much happiness to a person.
You really will always fall short of words, while describing Mumbai! The spirit - the life - the people - your people!
Seeing overcrowded markets, people crossing the streets without caring for vehicles, bindaas attitude of drivers in the city, real friendly shopkeepers and pani puri walas...
There is diversity of every kind in the city....from students to old men, all living together supporting each other in living the simplistic life in their homeland.
A cosmopolitan in its truest sense, Mumbaikars live, work for their daily bread - "vada pav", enjoy with their families, fight for common or societal issues - feel for the community.
Only thing that hurts me is to see the beggars on the street, or the old men who lay unattended for days. Despite being affluent in spirit, there still exists a lot of suffering in different parts of the city. It is surprising that man is unable to bring up the people along with him.
The politically motivated groups worry about issues concerning people who are well off to fend for their daily bread. What about those who do not have the strength of body or mind to even fight the basic survival issues.
On the simplest roads of lives, lies the discovery that we are much more lucky than those around us.....we just have to look and have the eyes to appreciate the suffering of others.
thats my serendipity - the realization that i have been lucky to be brought up in a lovely city which teaches self-respect and celebrates friendship and service to others. We do not need to be very patriotic, simply being grateful is enough for us to understand the value of things in our lives. We are then left with nothing but plain love - not for one but all people in the world alike...
Jesus rightly said, "Love thy neighbor as thyself"....man has grown to love himself so much that he has completely forgotten the beauty of others around him. He looks at everybody with his own selfish expectations, and when unsatisfied, blames or spurns hatred around.
Finally, I would also say, place doesn't matter, its always people who matter! People maketh the place. Even if you go to a completely new place, if you are awed by the service or the acceptance that the people of that place provide to you, it gives you enough strength and motivation to continue living and loving the place.
This I say in remembrance of my alma mater, Bloomington, Indiana.....as also the people I interacted with .... for showing me some good sides to myself and for bringing out the best in myself in their company!
Love..
