Bandh In Bombay

Over the past weekend, when everyone in my colg was busy writing knols.... I was far afield with my mum enjoying Mumbai. The only adjective that comes to my mind for describing the noun - "mumbai" is "fabulous".
Tough a lot remains to be explored about the city, but I have seen one face of this fabulous city that not many would know.
Today is 5th July 2010 - A nation wide bandh.My mum had her train back home today.At the outset full credit to me,that booking was made by me and I dont know how I do it what I do,But it will always land me up in a "be-wajah" trouble. So as you would have guessed by now going to the railway station in a band bombay is an adventure in itself

"kis time hai ticket aapka"
"Din main 12 baje ka train hai"
"oh hoo hoo hoo. bandh poora chalu rahega tab. change kara lo ticket. taxi vagrah bhi chalu rehga na toh log paathar maarta hai.. aane jaane nahi deta"

The Hostel warden scared the shit out of me.It looked a rather daunting task to me.How would I see her off.Should I rather stop and listen to the hstel warden again.My brain was numb and for the next 2 days I kept cajoling auto walas to come to MDP on 5th morning.. sad for me nobody gave in.

Today Morning- having usual breakfast at usual mess , I was feeling unusually nervous. I had been turned down by atleast a dozen taxi walas including the grand daddy of all-Meru cabs.Auto walas ,from my last 2 days exp, I knew they wudnt budge in. Probably there was big political pull in this area.Anyways,I was scratching my head very hard wondering how we would reach to that fancy place called "andheri station”. As we stepped out of campus, I tried convincein a couple of autowalas.. no wonder people tell me that m optimistic. My mum went and stood by the bus stop.To my relief, one bus did arrive in next 15 mins.and luckily it was for andheri station.

As we crossed a couple of bus stops the driver brought the bus to a standstill. "aila jahiala maila khaiyla" I heard conductor and the driver talking between themselves, in a bus of capacity 54, occupied currently by 4, me and my mum being the other 2 lucky ones. Apparently there was a huge crowd assembled at a distance of 100 mts from us.For a split second I though, my hostel warden knows it all. he was right.I gazed at the size of the window mirror, coz if one of it breaks, I had to understand how far inside can a person be hurt .And it was no ordinary person, it was "meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee and my mum". strangely enough, the crowd was waving at the driver to come ahead.boyyy.. what a polite mob I thought. "pyar se pass bula kar fir maarenge".. thats some style. As my bus cautiously approached the mob , 2 pretty girls came from nowhere and boarded our bus.boy I tell you these girls, they always create such a scene.. All the mob it turned out was more interested in getting these girls board the bus rather than pelting stones at us.

20 Mins past, the 8 of us reached the station. With several policemen chit chattin all around,The press madly videotaping the Army personnel.They All looked gay and happy , only the faces of people around weren’t that jovial. Their faces told me they were scared. Nobody was walking the usual brsik mumbai walk.Everyone was catious and slow.They gazed at us probably in amazement and probably in happiness- "koi aur bhi hai mere jaisa" they would have thought.

I have never ever seen an empty local pass by in front of my eyes. The church gate trains which ply at 3 times thier capacity on usual days were totally vacant.It was amazing.Probably humans can be scared easily I thought.When I could hardly spot my people, there were "angreez" log wondering which platform to go to.We as Indians are a sacred lot I guess.But thats not all, we are even stranger, in a complete empty train, why would you still like to stand by the train door,hanging by the pole.And crazy enough, why on planet earth, would I jump out of a moving train on a empty platform.I would need to go and ask a mumbaiker for the answer.

Finally we were at the right platform at the right time unscathed.As my mum boarded the train, the akon song "M so lonely" played inside my head. And It played over and oevr again.My mum did leave a void in me when her train passed that paltform.I stepped out of station alone and even more slowly than when I came in.I reached the bus stop. Asked a guy about LnT powaii,asuming he wouldnt know what NITIE is.The guy was friendly. he helped me board the right bus.As we talked, he told me about this work and also free description of the places we were crossing on the way.It was fun talking to a completely friendly stranger I reached LnT ,bid him a goodbye but as always happens with guys from my place- we know the names of all the girls we dont even talk to, but we dont the names of the guys we are friends with,so I bid him good bye wihtout knowing his name.
Out of the bus , and the akon song played again.Only a few seconds passed when I asked a man about the bus to NITIE. "Bus kyun karni hai, chala karo,Mujhe ek spine wale doctor ne abtay hai zinda jayda chaloge utni lambi umar hogi.Aa jao mere sath".Akon song vanished again.We walked and talked,starngely enough, he complimented me for makin it to nitie. First compliment from a non industry expert, I have received till now in this regard.We walked small distance before he moved in his direction, only to leave me the company of his friend, who was coming my way.We walked an talked and the akon song dint play this time. He discussed bandh and notorious powai area.
I reached campus, sooner than I had expected. And deep down thanking mumbai and wondering, how can I ever be lonely in this fabulous city of fabulous people.