Feels good to be back in Mumbai...

Its been nearly 2 weeks since I came back to Mumbai, after a long stint in the US of A. Sab kuch badla badla sa lag raha hai, lekin phir bhi apna-apna sa lag raha hai. It feels good to be back home with family and friends. Good to be back in the city where I was born and brought up. Good to be back in the city which taught me a lot of important lessons of life, which no college in the world can teach. When I travelled by train, a few days back, and first time after returning, I thought I would find it difficult, considering that I was 'out-of-touch' of the habit of local train travel. But to my surprise, I made it quite easily. The oh-so-familiar local trains, the interiors with all the stickers and banners, the crowd, the non-working fans, the smell of sweat, the constant chatter of junta, travelling on the foot-board... it was worth every minute...

wahi stations, wahi bheed-bhaad
wahi ticket ki queue, wahi bhagam-bhaag...

The roads too had a familiar sight... The traffic, as usual; the pedestrians; the road-side vendors; the honking of cars - does it feel great to be back home???? It indeed does. I was missing all this while I was in Atlanta. Traffic used be there sometimes, but honking was very very rare. Pedestrians were hardly to be seen. The local train was very different from our trains... Choti, kaafi empty, no travelling on foot-boards, band-darwaaze, band-khidkiyan, etc, etc...

But it feels good to be back home. Sab kitna apna apna sa lagta hai...

Kudos to Mumbai and the citizens of Mumbai...

p.s. - I had written 'Bombay', but my friend couldn't digest it and forced me to change it to 'Mumbai'. so much for 'Freedom of Speech and Expression' in this democratic country.