Mumbai

Mumbai is where it all started. I was born in Worli in a little hospital on a Sunday. It was the beginning of a life long love affair. Since childhood Mumbai has been special for me. My parents lived in Pune and I have a deep connection with the city, but I always end up cheating on her with my affection for Mumbai.

I used to go to my grandparents' place in Worli for every holiday. The sunsets on the Worli sea face were magical. From the balcony of their government quarters, we could see Haji Ali, melting into the orange waters. I have wanted to visit the place since I was five. I finally went when I was twenty. Walked across the narrow strait, as the water lapped against the bridge. All the way to the dargah to make a mannat. Tied a small piece of thread in faith that God will answer my prayers. I was not believer and still am not, but there is some sort of vibe in that salty air that makes me wish that I was.

The sea and Mumbai are very intimate, and I love seeing them together. The Gateway of India is one of these places, where you can see the water and the shore meet each other in loving frenzy. It is where I had my first date with P, this guy I had meet during IITB Techfest in Powai. My friend and I had driven for three hours straight just so that I could spend a few minutes with P.

I have been to Gateway with my family a couple of times, even on a school trip. But my favorite was the time I visited the Taj with my college principal to meet the CEO of Cummins Inc.

No trip to Mumbai is complete without a visit to Marine Drive. When I was younger I used to insist on dining at fancy hotels near Nariman Point : the Palms, the Oberoi. I was spoilt by my grandparents.

The Girgaon chowpati is a place to eat and spend time with your loves ones.

The only place to shop was at Lokhandwala, and I loved spending time with my aunt and my friends bargaining for and paying greatly for our great taste.

Mumbai is a feeling, one that I constantly crave. A feeling that starts in the pit of my stomach and rushes through my blood vessels till I am flush with emotion. Anything I say about Mumbai is going to sound like a cliché so I hope the pictures delivered on the promised thousand words.