Bidding goodbye is mostly never easy, but when it is time, it’s inevitable. I am in the midst of goodbye pangs. Amidst all the packing and the hullabaloo it brings with it, there are quiet moments that brings with it a sense of dull heaviness. It is not easy to turn my back on a place that has been home for twenty-seven years. All the more so when the place is the beautiful city of Mumbai.
The term Aamchi Mumbai when translated simply means my/our Mumbai. But the emotion associated with the term is lost in translation. It is uttered with a sense of pride and deep love. And here, my cup of love runneth over.
Before I moved to Mumbai, I must confess, I had an unflattering image of the place. The everlasting images of this mega city have always been one of crowd and confusion, and to the mind of a small town girl, this was nothing short of intimidating. But when I moved in here and experienced her first hand, I could go beyond the mayhem and see her unique beauty – a beauty that transcends the noise and confusion, the crowd and congestion, the potholes and concrete structures. It is the the beauty of her magnanimous heart, a heart that makes space for everyone despite busting at her seams. Mumbai soon gathered me in her arms in a warm embrace and permitted me to carve out my own little world here for this long.
As I turn back to look at this little world, it unfolds like a well-curated album. I see my younger self as a new wife trying to learn the ropes of domesticity. A little later, as a young mother, she struggled in the labyrinthine alleys of motherhood. In the midst of all this, she also juggled a teaching career. There are so many happy pictures of a new home, new friends and new horizons. There are also images of challenging times like the 2005 floods and periods of illness. Even in these images of difficult times, I see colours of hope and happiness.
As I move towards a new innings in life, I know I will always suffer pangs of longing for this city that has inextricably become a part of me. When I am fully settled in my little hometown, even after years, when someone makes a mere passing reference to this magical city, I am sure my heart will leap up in joy. Such will be my undiminished love for Aamchi Mumbai.
On the go... 