Friday, June 15, 2007

On Top of Mumbai


Sunset at Juhu Beach

Rooftops always relax me. During the early years of 11th, 12th and then college, it was the home rooftop with a picture perfect view of Himalayas. Then in Hyderabad, it was the view of the far away buildings of IT giants - glittering no matter at what hour you see them. In Mysore too there were terrific views of greenery and sunsets at my second house. The romance with rooftop continues here in Mumbai. But the views are entirely different here. The two sides are covered with buildings higher, so as soon as you climb on, you see an array of windows hardly 30 meters away. The one on the right side is a bit far away but as you turn around there is an endless expanse of lights in front of you. As you sit in the slight drizzle of the monsoon shower, earphones plugged, you start seeing different lives – all together. There is a person sitting on his PC, a lonely old lady watching saas bahu soaps, another person praying before going to sleep, a lady preparing food in the kitchen, a girl talking animatedly on her mobile, children playing in their stylish 2 storey beds. The closeness to the Airport ensures a flight rising just in front of you every 5 minutes. Nothing specific I am trying to get to here but just the fact that it was pretty amazing and a new rooftop view for me in this city of dreams – a city which they say runs very fast. Strangely when I see the traffic, the people, the city - all running, I feel that all the while it is trying to run fast, it is getting slowed down.

8 comments:

Amrut said...

what was the last line???

Bharti Bedi said...

oye u peeping in other people's home??bad manners!!!

but a lovely pic...

Unknown said...

dusro ke ghron mein jhankna achi baat nahi hai...ha ha ha...

wasie agar saamne wale kisi ghar mien koi ladki hai jo ki apne terrace garden mien naach rahi ho, jiske papa rtd. army officer ho, aur jinke pass ek pyara sa kutta "tommy" ho...to aap der na karein...is se pehle ki aapki zindagi mien "Shanny" aaye...aap us ladki ke pass jayein aur apne pyaar ka izhar kaein...

Cuckoo said...

What a lovely picture it is !! But this is not from your terrace.

Welcome to the land of surprises, city of dreams. :)) Will look forward to see more of you.

Well, houses are so close that you cannot avoid peeping in the other people's lives. Nothing is very private here. ye to shuruaat hai.. aage-2 dekhiye hota hai kya.

I bet you'll long to go back to the real houses with your own terrace, your own backyard & lawn and your own car garage where you can play cricket and so on.

In Mumbai, you just live life hanging on some floor... away from the ground reality.

And the last sentence... so truly you've said !!

P.S.- I am in the middle of two trips, just trying to hop into some blogs. ;)

SiD said...

@amrut: last line.. hmm.... they say mumbai is a fast city and when u r going to a place.. u realise it is not fast.... but slow (due to the traffic)

@island girl: yahan pe agar na bhi chaho to ass pass ke gharon mein dikhta hai...

@rompy: beta - yeh goa nahi hai.. terrace garden kya.. yahan to terrace hi nahi hoti...

@cuckoo: ya thats foto is on juhu beach on my 1st day here..and yes, currently i am hanging on a 3rd floor flat.. soon coming down to earth will b tuff as there will be no earth - only water!!!! :)

Sanchit421 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sanchit421 said...

point well noted and well expressed....
the flats in mumbai are so cramped and near to each other that I dont think most people here know what a 'balcony view' really means...
the thought struck me when that man in my hostel took me to my room for the first time and said--and there's the balcony!!!!

Bharti Bedi said...

get a chat box lyk mine..its easier to drop msgs