Mumbai - A city of dreams...

It is said that once someone stayed and survived in Mumbai can survive anywhere in the world but that person will not want to leave Mumbai and stay somewhere else. That is the magic of MUMBAI... or may be say an aura of Mumbai city.

And I have experienced this.....

I moved to Mumbai in 8 years ago and literally hated it for being there. Every single day I used to think as soon as possible I want to leave this city and move to Pune ( A calm, peaceful place). Before moving to mumbai, I had never traveled in local buses and trains. In very first year I experienced travelling in BEST buses and the famous local trains of Mumbai which I definitely hated it at that point of time. I still remember every morning starting my day at 8 by taking auto from my home to Goregaon station and catch 8:15 am's  local train from Goregaon Station to Dadar. Change Western line to Central Line and catch another train from Platform 3 or 4 to Ghatkopar. From Ghatkopar west station catch a bus to Saumya College. A long tiring Journey of 2 and half hour to work  and back home. I had literally lost few kgs of weight in just 2 months duration due to my hectic schedule (may be was good for me... ;-) )

Every day used to be a new day while traveling in local. I met new people, new faces... some laughing, some giggling, some chatting, some buying local stuff, some listening to music, some over phone, some just viewing outside world, some lost in their own world and some still in sleep mode....

Time passed, I changed my job and then no more traveling of local trains required for me...which definitely made me happy. But still I was in hope of moving to Pune and leaving my happy life in mumbai with no friends around and had not even seen a Mumbai city which is known for so many places. Just me, my life and work. I was happy with life but was not liking the place.

Slowly with years I made some friends in Mumbai who made me see the real Mumbai....

Gate way of India, Juhu Beach, Queens Necklace, Wankhede stadium, Aare Colony, Linking road and Hill road shopping street, Lokhandwala shopping complex, Bade Miyan kebabs, Local panwalas, roadside pani puri to 5-star hotels, posh pubs and lounges, almost all the restaurants in Malad and Andheri area... list is endless....

In all my most favorite place is Queens necklace and Aarey Colony. Just grab a cone of ice cream at late night and sit at queen's necklace... never felt at such a peace in this fast running city which never sleeps. You see a mid night beauty of Mumbai city and you find yourself... what could be a better combination than this...??!!!

After 6 years when I had to decide to move to Pune and I didn't want to.... I wanted to stay in Mumbai... I wanted to live that fast pace life... But what made me upset the most was the reason I had to leave Mumbai...

"The reason which made me come to this place only became the reason for me to leave it..."

It's been 2 years now I have left Mumbai but those memories, those places, those people around, every damn small thing doesn't go out of my mind and heart....

Mumbai is the city that changed ME, discovered ME, made ME...

I have struggled, I have enjoyed, I have learnt, I have found true people... I have understood lives and life....

I was in Love with Mumbai and I still am... the good thing is I loved this place due to people I met there... I am not saying I met all the good people there... I definitely met good and bad people both, but I have learnt ...I have learnt some important lessons of my life from them... and most important some of really important people of my life... I have met them in Mumbai....

This city has given me people who have helped me find myself and discovering ME for what I am today and helping me become the strongest person I could have been ever been...