The City of Dreams: A love letter to Mumbai

(Songs: Ay Khuda- Salim Merchant, This City- Sam Fischer)

The Mumbai I fell in love with isn’t the city you see on the screen.

It isn’t anything like Slumdog millionaire, or Hotel Mumbai or the popular lore that revolves around it.

Alright, sure, that is some part of the city it is today.

But the Mumbai I grew up loving?

It's the city buried beneath the mounds of political agendas, Bollywood movies and tragic history. Hidden between the pages of time, there once stood a town truly worthy of the titles we give to it.

And sometimes, if you’re blessed enough to be gifted with the eyes of a writer, you may just catch glimpses of this lost burg.

Where others see dirt and puddles and mosquitos, I see cloudy skies and a magnificent sea, waves crashing against the shore.

When people roll their eyes  at the crowds in the Siddhivinayak temple or the Mahim Dargah, I see devotion. I hear prayers, wishes, dreams and fragile hopes being murmured in the midst of the throng, not headache-inducing din.

They moan and complain about the traffic, and it is horrible, but it is an opportunity to observe the hustle-bustle of this sprawling metropolis. In this ever-moving, ever-changing city, being stuck in traffic is probably one of the only times throughout the day when you reach a complete standstill. 

In this city, every local train ride becomes a journey of its own. As the train chugs along, you'll see people from all walks of life, each with their own story to tell, and yet, for those fleeting moments, they all share the same space, heading towards their dreams.

What truly sets Mumbai apart is its people. Beneath the fast-paced exterior, you'll find a warmth and resilience in the hearts of Mumbaikars. They come together in times of crisis, rising like a phoenix from the ashes, their spirit indomitable.

There’s something beautiful about these tiny things, like the woman carefully selecting a gajra from the flower-seller who sits at the corner of the road, leaving him the extra 20 rupees; or the way people chat  with strangers around makeshift chai-tapris, steaming kulhads in their hands, the laughter of young children an enchanting melody to the scene.

So, the Mumbai I fell in love with isn't just a city; it's a tapestry of dreams, aspirations, and human connections. It's a place where the past blends seamlessly with the present, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, and where the heart of the city continues to beat, resilient and timeless, reminding us of the humanity that binds us all together, That even within the ‘modern’ city of Mumbai, there still beats the old, ancient heart of the city of dreams. 

~dhri