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I am very excited on Fridays. Not all Fridays!! Only the Fridays when I am going to go home. My real home!!
I have been born and brought up in Bombay. Mumbai as they call it now. I have spent the golden years of my life in this city of dreams. Twenty four glorious years!! And I miss my city a lot while I am here in Pune. Pune has a lot to offer too, its not a bad place but Mumbai is MUMBAI!!

There are many things about Mumbai which only guys who have spent a lot of time in Mumbai…say more than 10-15 yrs can understand. For me as soon as I step of the Volvo bus in Mumbai, the familiar humidity in air captivates me. I have heard people complain that “Bombay is sooo humid”, but we enjoy the humidity here. Ask anyone about it.

After the weather, the second thing that hits me is the fast pace of the city. No where else have I seen people leading their lives with such urgency. The traffic, the honking, the people moving about, the hawkers, the neons, etc .. etc. I feel that time takes a new dimension in Mumbai. Nobody wants to waste a single minute of their life. For some it’s the 10:28 local train, for others it’s the 5:15 bus. No body is laid back. Every one is running continuously in a race for existence, competing with millions of others mumbaiites. One cannot stop, if one does he is left behind. The best part is that no one complains about this race. Its healthy competition! No wonder people from Mumbai find time move slowly everywhere else.

Another thing I miss about Mumbai is the nightlife here. It is in the true sense a city that never sleeps. I have been privileged to enjoy some glorious night outs here. The nightlife here exists for the rich as well as for the poor. Taxis and autos run, nightclubs are rocking, chaiwallas are on, bhurjiwalas are awake, there are people everywhere. One good place to have a great night is the Airport.

I also miss the food culture of Mumbai. The roadside food vendors, the sleazy restaurants, the smoky bars, the posh clubs!! There are thousands of eateries here, where one can enjoy great food (udipi, gujrati, maharashtian, north Indian, world cuisine, etc) at unusual hours. The service offered is grade one everywhere. So is the food!! Everything here tastes different. Maybe Mumbai adds its own flavors to the food.

I miss my friends, the chai n sutta on a raining evening, the crazy traffic days, the overcrowded buses, the wadapavs, the bonding of people irrespective of religious and cultural differences, the glimmering skyline. I miss everything about Mumbai. Mumbai, the city which doesn’t mind who you are, from where you are! It accepts you with open arms. I love Mumbai for this too.

I am what I am due to this city! I owe it to you, Mumbai!!