For the love of Bombay

 

Of my favourite yellows and polka dots

Of long walks and finger knots

Of rains and evening mist

Of those sensuous eyes and lips that kissed

Of shared coffees and glasses of wine

Of you and me and of souls entwined

Of holding hands and endless chats

Of warm puppy hugs and street cats

Of breezy nights and silent shores

Of throbbing beats and emotions galore

Of letting go and holding on

Of sunny days and breaking dawn

Of happy tears and and all things nice

It is but a slice

Of love, life, truth, and otherwise

~Yashna

***

June 2016 marks FIVE years of my affair with this city of Bombay!

Bombay gave me what I came here looking for – the taste of freedom and an independent life, the luxury of choice, interesting encounters, some friends for life, gorgeous sunsets by the sea, and a place that I now call home.

I know it has been said ‘n’ number of times that this city is one of the finest examples of diversity and truly a melting pot of cultures, but you HAVE to experience it to believe it. Bombay lives up to all its clichéd titles – the city of dreams, the city that never sleeps, the high paced city. It is all this and much more! Some days, its chaos is cacophony. On other days, it soothes you like a melody. The traffic and speeding vehicles running parallel to the sometimes calm, sometimes agitated sea draws one. The stillness of the sea sometimes gets lost in the noise of the street. At other times, the tranquility overpowers all the clamour. Some days, it cajoles you like a love struck lover. On other days, it takes the role of a stern teacher. However loving or abusive your relationship is with this place, it’s bound to leave a mark in your life. I have not only danced in its rains but also taken in its seething toxins. Believe you me, when I say that I’ve been charmed by the sheer swagger of the city that I still love to call Bombay.

“All cities are mad: but the madness is gallant. All cities are beautiful: but the beauty is grim.”

~Christopher Morley