Mindless ness is a feeling I am getting and not sure which direction to move. Life, which seemed honky dory until a few months back, is making me scared. Every night I wake up with the disturbing dream, of me chasing something like a fanatic and missing it by an inch……….I know something is wrong, actually everything is wrong. After five years of my existence in this city I still cannot come to terms with this……….I am yearning to talk to friend some mindless blur……but who has time in the busy city where it takes you ages to reach anywhere.
Ma, my best friend is no more, college I left long…………often I run pass my phonebook to see if there is anyone with whom I can just connect anytime I want, .the answer comes sharp NO. All are busy with their life so I am probably. Friend a term we use so loosely, its so pseudo that is just restricted to social Hi’s over the weekend, sending a Hi scrap or may be an occasional phone call to catch up with each other lives.
In reality, there is no one with whom you can just talk without thinking of any consequences, without having to give something or expecting anything in return the way it used to be in good school days. That is how life is, more you grow old, more lonely you become, with success comes commitment, comes responsibilities and you slowly remember only to network with people and forget to connect to a FRIEND
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Where do I find a Pre Paid Taxi Counter?
The other day while coming back from Kolkata, what startled me is the new private wing of Mumbai airport. We have been taking Kingfisher airline in our last few trips, which shares the bay with the state own airline and hence we have missed this makeover completely. This time we flew another private airline and after a lot of taxing both up and in ground, when we finally landed, we were just too amazed to see the airport (Domestic wing B of Mumbai Airport). There were gleaming granite and stainless steel railings, water bodies and newly planted waving palms, and well-directed signboards and to our surprise, no spit marks anywhere.
Even to my sister-in law and her husband who presently resides in US and has seen lot many airports across the world this was a great pleasant surprise. What they saw they really like.
However, amidst all these signs what caught my attention was the sign for the “pre paid taxi” counter. I was naturally thrill ............atlast Mumbai airport got its much awaited prepaid taxi counter. I was happier because we three were traveling this time and unlike rest of the time when I am traveling on work and J like a dotting husband does a chauffer service, there were no car to pick us up. Nevertheless, my entire thrill ended when I reached the space that supposes to be the pre paid counter. There is only a signboard but no operational counter and the same old story of struggling to find a Cab continues.
Almost all big airports in India has a pre paid Taxi counter, and as flier aren’t we suppose to know why the most busy domestic airport of the country, Mumbai cannot enjoy that privilege?
Even to my sister-in law and her husband who presently resides in US and has seen lot many airports across the world this was a great pleasant surprise. What they saw they really like.
However, amidst all these signs what caught my attention was the sign for the “pre paid taxi” counter. I was naturally thrill ............atlast Mumbai airport got its much awaited prepaid taxi counter. I was happier because we three were traveling this time and unlike rest of the time when I am traveling on work and J like a dotting husband does a chauffer service, there were no car to pick us up. Nevertheless, my entire thrill ended when I reached the space that supposes to be the pre paid counter. There is only a signboard but no operational counter and the same old story of struggling to find a Cab continues.
Almost all big airports in India has a pre paid Taxi counter, and as flier aren’t we suppose to know why the most busy domestic airport of the country, Mumbai cannot enjoy that privilege?
Friday, February 15, 2008
Me Indian
I noticed a very disturbing trend today and do not quiet know which direction we are heading. Much has been written about Raj Thackeray and his politically motivated speech on certain community of the country but unfortunately, that is making quiet some negative impact amongst commoners.
I was in the busy “Andheri” station today morning, trying to get into a train. I generally avoid this station, as this is one of the most crowded stations in Mumbai suburbs. Being an industry hub now, there are as many commuters taking a train out to reach “Town” as there are, who are coming to “Andheri” from different parts of the city. It is always a struggle here to walk down the staircase or in the footbridge, you actually do not walk you just move with the push that you get from behind and for people who come here everyday it is just a way of life now. The situation was not different today and there was huge rush. Push was coming from all direction, and in between all that I hear a voice of a lady accusing some people in the crowd as “ you North Indian, you should leave Mumbai and let us leave in peace”. To my surprise, when I look back and I found the voice was not of a political barber but from a lady who looked educated and well groomed. I am not defending the people whom she has accused, she must have had good reasons for doing so, but why bring in which part of the country they are from here…are they not Indians and over all are the not human.
It has been 5 years since I have moved in Mumbai. Whatever cribbing we go on doing about the city and its thankless infrastructure, it is our city. I have started my family here, my daughter is born in this city, I have built my own house here, and for me home is Mumbai. I am sure there are thousands like me who has made Mumbai home from different parts of the country. The one think we all are proud of this city, is its cosmopolitan nature where all communities can leave peacefully with each other. If we do not want to speak English so be it, but then speak “HINDI” which is our national language as per the constitution. If I have an affinity to learn languages, then I will surely pick up other regional languages but how can I be victimized for not knowing a regional language in my own country. We have already been divided post independence in the name of religion and we all know what that has bought… hatred and wars. What Britishers have done to gain control, dividing us in the name of religion, this mighty politicians are doing that for their stake, amongst different communities belonging to different provinces of the same country.
The shame is not in what politicians are doing but what we educated people are doing, harnessing hatred about each other, and thereby going one-step backward in our progress as a nation. How does it matter if one is an Uttarpradeshi, Bihari , Bengali, Gujrati, or Maharastrian, at the end of the day we are all Indians. Why cannot we invest our energy in fighting away terrorists and working for social causes rather than harnessing such nasty inhuman behaviour?
I was in the busy “Andheri” station today morning, trying to get into a train. I generally avoid this station, as this is one of the most crowded stations in Mumbai suburbs. Being an industry hub now, there are as many commuters taking a train out to reach “Town” as there are, who are coming to “Andheri” from different parts of the city. It is always a struggle here to walk down the staircase or in the footbridge, you actually do not walk you just move with the push that you get from behind and for people who come here everyday it is just a way of life now. The situation was not different today and there was huge rush. Push was coming from all direction, and in between all that I hear a voice of a lady accusing some people in the crowd as “ you North Indian, you should leave Mumbai and let us leave in peace”. To my surprise, when I look back and I found the voice was not of a political barber but from a lady who looked educated and well groomed. I am not defending the people whom she has accused, she must have had good reasons for doing so, but why bring in which part of the country they are from here…are they not Indians and over all are the not human.
It has been 5 years since I have moved in Mumbai. Whatever cribbing we go on doing about the city and its thankless infrastructure, it is our city. I have started my family here, my daughter is born in this city, I have built my own house here, and for me home is Mumbai. I am sure there are thousands like me who has made Mumbai home from different parts of the country. The one think we all are proud of this city, is its cosmopolitan nature where all communities can leave peacefully with each other. If we do not want to speak English so be it, but then speak “HINDI” which is our national language as per the constitution. If I have an affinity to learn languages, then I will surely pick up other regional languages but how can I be victimized for not knowing a regional language in my own country. We have already been divided post independence in the name of religion and we all know what that has bought… hatred and wars. What Britishers have done to gain control, dividing us in the name of religion, this mighty politicians are doing that for their stake, amongst different communities belonging to different provinces of the same country.
The shame is not in what politicians are doing but what we educated people are doing, harnessing hatred about each other, and thereby going one-step backward in our progress as a nation. How does it matter if one is an Uttarpradeshi, Bihari , Bengali, Gujrati, or Maharastrian, at the end of the day we are all Indians. Why cannot we invest our energy in fighting away terrorists and working for social causes rather than harnessing such nasty inhuman behaviour?
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