You come, You see , It conquers

You come, You see , It conquers.

“Oh so beautiful!” mostly the reactions us Mumbaikars get when someone visits Mumbai for the first time. Well, that is something which cannot be denied. Mumbai- referred as the “city of Dreams” as well as “the city that never sleeps” at the same time, ironic, isn’t it? Thousands of people come to this city with millions of dreams wrapped up in little suitcases. But if you ask someone who has been staying in Mumbai for quite a few years you’ll realize most of them have a love-hate relationship with this city. Why, you ask? Many people staying in the city are those who work 9-5 throughout the week which makes them loathe the city so much, but then comes the weekend, when the city is their playground, since it is a metropolitan city, Mumbai provides many opportunities of relaxation like a long walk alongside marine drive or driving up to the worli sealink and many more, and after all no other city would offer such a fast paced life which is available to mumbaikars. 

Mumbai's local train, is the lifeline of the city. When a core Mumbaikar utters “Aamchi Mumbai” local trains are an inseparable element of it. About millions of people travel daily fromthe local train yet never get tired. The local trains offers a kind of rush that gets you going. For many people it’s like a second home and hence is so precious. 

The financial capital of the country is also the dwelling for Dharavi- the largest slum in the world. This slum is a world in itself, it offers jobs, hand-loom, craft and many more opportunities to the people residing in it. Such contradictory tales can be seen in many parts of the city itself. For instance, on one hand there are street shopping lanes like Colaba Causeway, Fashion Street etc. along with high end stores like Dior and Chanel. Street food is another element of this city, where empty stomachs are filled with just Rs.15. Vada Pav is the "staple diet' of most of the Mumbaikars.

But this city is not just fun and games it has seen darker sides too. The colossal floods of 26^th July and the terrorist attacks of 26/11, shook the city deeply. And yet built itself up again. The people here never give up; neither on their dreams nor the city. Each and every aspiration of people is respected whether big or small.

Lastly, Mumbai is not about the crowd or the rush, it's about how people make friends even in those few minutes in the local train, it's about the long queues at the bus stops, it's about a number of people gathering for a cricket match and the celebration when the nation wins, it's about the Dabbawalas, the Bollywood actors, about occupied roads even at 3:00 am, about Ganesh Chaturthi. About the local markets and the bargaining, about Marine Drive, Chowpatty, Juhu Beach, Bandstand, late night movie shows, Crawford market and so many other things. There's a reason why so many people come here and almost none goes back, and why all them call themselves Mumbaikars and the city Aamchi Mumbai , as Mumbai is not just a city ; it's a feeling...