Mumbai, Here I am...

Mumbai, here I am!

Mumbai: a city of dreams, a city of hopes, a city that never sleeps. I always had a negative notion for this city. This largely was due to me experiencing the rains of July 2005 first hand, plus the humidity. And not to forget masses of humanity, which are everywhere during peak office hours!
I never wanted to come to Mumbai, but fate had different things for me in store. I left my job as a correspondent for BIKE INDIA and CAR INDIA magazines in Pune and went for the Great Indian Road Trip (www.thegreatindianroadtrip.com). After that came a period of planning and thinking, during which I did go for a couple of rides up north to the hills but nothing prepared me for my marriage! Not that I didn’t want it to happen, it just happened so fast. We had like a week to organize everything, but its been worth it.
Anyways, once married, I had responsibilities to shoulder. But I was jobless and after three honeymoons (another long story), I finally got a break when Sameer Kumar helped me out with a job at the same company, but at their Mumbai office this time. I had no choice, the proverb “beggars aren’t choosers” kept running through my mind. I wanted to join the company, but the idea of being in Mumbai kept bothering me. Things worked out and I tried all my best to reconcile my mind for Mumbai.
And here I am then… sitting in my office at Mahim, my first day at job. Thinking, thinking and thinking. How will I adjust? How will I cope up with the traffic, the masses of humanity, the rains, the humidity… Fortunately, god had something good in mind for me. I immediately got a house in the place I was looking at, Nerul, in Navi Mumbai. See, I don’t have a salary fat enough to live in Mumbai, and the only drawback I see of staying in Nerul will be the commuting part. But I am a biker right? And riding a round trip of 55odd kms everyday wont be asking much, right?
Grrr..This is Mumbai meri jaan. To make sure I ride around 25kms in 40mins or so, I have leave my house by like 7:45am for sure. A bit late and I will be a tiny speck in the traffic infested roads of this city. It will be is worse in the evenings: 45mins to one hour for the 25odd km ride back home. Add to it, the monsoons are round the corner. God!
No, those of you who are about to tell me about the local trains, NO. I cant stand for 90mins in the morning and another 90 in the evening. Today I was fortunate to come to the office in the cool cab with my boss but from tomorrow on, the real test begins. A test of patience, stamina, control and timing. Will I win or will Mumbai have another victim in its grab? Tomorrow…