Wednesday, March 12, 2008

The Big B - Bombay

Bombay, when I shifted to this city of 7 islands it was still Bombay. Till one day Mubaikars decided to be so. WHatever the name is, it hardly matters. I still love it.

Came here when I was in 5th. Switched schools twice, started learning hindi from the first alphabet as opposed to my kabir ke dohas which I had started to love by now. Hindi was better than marathi, because I was a hardcore 'MP'ite, my friends thought it weird. The place I came to live in was still a subarban village of Bombay with a police station and dhaba next to our building. From a convent school to a normal one, from the good old ICSE board which I so much love and still consider the epitome of good education to SSC was a pleasent change as I had to study less. In approx 2 years there sprang building beside ours and I could no more see across the higway. Though I could still see my school bus coming from around the corner and run down in a jiffy:D Soon I forgot there existed a highway across and was happy settling for the part of world I could see and experience.
My dad taught me to ride the bicycle and then my first scooter in which I crashed and never touched a motorized 2 wheeler again. Bicycling is still my favourite sport. Thought havent done it for years. I had my first music lessons in Mumbai, as my mom always wanted me to learn to sing. And I am glad that she had discovered my passion for music. I love and appreciate music. I had a bengali music teacher, who taught it in her typical sweet Bengali accent :)
My brother loves Mumbai though he was born in Bhopal and I still love the small town feel, A disscusion on Mumbai and you will know he hates to get out of that place and dreams to make it big there. Bhopal has no importance other than the place of birth. I guess thats is why he is the hardcore Mumbaitte and not me :)
He was very young then, I still remember his running around in that fav red sweater and playing with my gang of girls till I was in 10th. After which he attended my school picnic and that was the end of my gaming sessions with my bro, where I had to finally declare that he make his own friends.
Extremely naughty fellow, who always got me complaitns in school, but which only made me love him more. The bond and understanding with which we grew, will always be as strong and I am glad, I have a sibling.
Then came the junior college and I spent more time at home that usual, bunking college... The transformation from school to college was really enriching experience from new friends to new dresses to new teachers, new subjects, new travel in local train to even a few crushes. Things were always merry. The love hate relations of life just started and thats when I understood the ppl of this city more. While in school I only interacted more with families staying in my colony.We had a bengali, tamil and bihari family staying on the same floor. Then I was awed by the strong bengali culture, the importance of women they potrayed, while at the same time I could see the boldness of the biharis and the simplicity, hardwork and religiousness of the tamilians. We had north, south, east, west exp...all in one.
But when I went to college, that is the time I experienced the real Mumbai culture and the sweet people. The maharashtrians and gujratis though being different have over the years struck a sanguine relation. And its hard to differeciate anymore. They stay in one family while sharing the cultural beauties with each other. Going to engineering college, always being interested in other cultures, I had more gujrati friends. Getting to see their culture from such proximity was something I cherished.
The fourth year of engg was even better with a project at IIT, one of the biggest university campuses in India was worth experiencing. With a good professor and a nestle canteen and the powai lake and four project partners, life had come to a standstill for the moment after which we did not know where our lifes would take us. My journey of Mumbai was for 13 years after which it was time for Infosys and moving on to another Big B. There is a lot more to write, but for now its late, the clocks ticking and dreaming of it sounds like a better idea :)

Monday, March 3, 2008

Toast

We usually meet people in our long life to create memories and part to preserve them. But along the way some people become the way of our life. My roommate of 3.5 years is getting married and the memories of our togetherness come back to me and fill my heart with all the beautiful things, times and emotions. I recently read in a book: "You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed." Its same, when we meet, we get used to each others ways.
Once we spend some considerable time together everytime we look at something or do something, it reminds us of that someone important in a happy way. The time I have spent with Richa will never come back, but the memories will, the love and care will always be there where she had made her special place.

I still remember the first day of school when I met this bubbly kid, joining school so late so as to not being able to register for any of the classes she liked. But still happy. Then she lost her way going home and through a lot of efforts came to our place to be dropped back, still with that smile.
The next interaction with her was, she came to our place to look for accomodation, we being in need of a fourth roomie.
Since then we have moved around from four roomies, to five, to two, to three, to four and back to two.

We came to share all the good times and bad, from getting up late for classes, to studying together, to cribbing about assignments, to get to know about each other and family and trying to fill the gaps, till last year when she announced she wanted to marry Davey, the intial surprise which I soon accepted, because he is such a lovely person, that its difficult not to like him, his qualities, his knowledge, his love for books, his anecdotes, his always being there for you, all started to become a important part of our lives. I always felt the trust that he so confidently put in the relation towards Richa and all things important to her.

And that could be because for you all who have known Richa for some time, know, she is adorable, smart, extremely lovable, highly caring, and cooks awesome food :) Also, She has always had a happy disposition alongwith matureness and strength of mind.
You learn a lot of stuff form your roomies. Similarly I unknowingly learnt a lot from her too, what loving your people in the right sense means. Love does not mean only feeling a lot for a person, it is a mix of compassion, care, complementing other persons shortcomings, working on the qualities of a person making them stronger enough so there is no more place for shortcomings, doubts, distrust or fear. Love is not only feeling but showing too that you truly love.

No outsider can see the friendship we have, let alone understand it. Because sometimes we ourselves don't say anything, but just understand and so its definitely going to be difficult to say "good-bye"
With all the love that she is going to take forward in the Templin family, who have always been so supportive and been pleasure to be with, I am so sure she will make a great wife, a caring daughter-in-law and a fav granddaughter...

May Richa and Davey life be long and happy,
Their cares and sorrows few;
and the many friends around you
Prove faithful, fond and true.