2020 has been a hectic year in the beginning already and I needed a break for real and also needed some idea for my book, so did my parents and so we have been planning this little trip to Mumbai. Another reason for the plan is that my sister have been living in the city since 2016 and have been inviting us to come over and see her place. And so, in the month of February we finally decided to call it in and take the trip to the city of dreams when we took our flight that was on 17th around 4:00 pm. We reached the Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport around 8:00 pm where we were received by my sister. Strolled through the city on a cab listening to some good ole Hindi Classics from the 90s by Kishore Da and Rafi Sir as well as some Rock music from the yesteryear by The Eagles, Pink Floyd and Bon Jovi. But the real treat of this ride was when we realized that our driver was from Duliajaan, Assam living in Thane at Mumbai when he spoke in Assamese while listening to our conversations and we had reached her apartment around 10:00 pm. The apartment is a bit rundown but cozy and the view from the balcony is sweet and serene as there was a playground with little children hanging around and playing with their friends and parents, an awe-struck scene which literally took me back to my childhood days the next morning. Also that same day was a big day for us since my sister was supposed to host an event and guests were her friends and colleagues in the city so I sported my formals to do the honors to the guests and make it happening along with my sister. Some random karaoke sessions and dancing, the event was a success but the life of the party was then when we and our friends from Assam living in Mumbai treated the guests with a Bihu Dance performance and got them dancing on the floor.
Some days later, we planned a little site seeing and booked a rental for the day and our first stop was the Mount Merry Church which happens to be one of the oldest cathedral situated in Bandra. Near the church there were stalls for souvenirs, candles and foods and while talking to one of the vendors outside I came to know that the man was in his 70s and doing this business for 30 years from now at that same place and trust me, he sells some delicious samosas with mouthwatering red sauce and green chutney. The next destination was the Bandra fort near the Bandra-Worli sea link with a nice garden to sit in and watch the view with some stalls nears the sidewalk. And, next we took a stroll around the beach until sunset, the cool breeze touching my face made feel like lost in the moment, a time lapse that I didn’t wanted to miss. Looking at the older people as well as the younger ones happily enjoying I just felt like that these people are actually living a life in-spite of all the hustle and bustle in their lives to go through. I wished I could have stayed in that place for a little longer but it was getting dark and we had to head back for dinner at some place and so I bid goodbye to the serene view of the sunset down the ocean and went along to get some food and then to head back home.
The last and final place for visit was supposed to be the pilgrimage sites around the city but we needed to see the crowd turn up and less hustle judging by my dad’s health issues and so on 26th we planned a little trip to Siddhi Vinayak Temple. Visiting Siddhi Vinayak have been not only mine but also my mom’s one wish this year and I really had a great experience at the place. One of the oldest myths the place holds is that inside the premise there are four silver plated Rat statue who happens to grant your wishes if you whisper them to one ear while covering the other to seal the deal and while on the way back I had happened to have witnessed some food stalls that redefines the term “The bigger, The better”, I mean, ever seen a Gigantic Dosa or a big rock sized sweet? Then visit this place for once.
Skipping a day in between, the next morning was the day when we finally had to return back to Guwahati. Did some repacks, checked out the essentials and at 12 pm we headed to the terminal catch the flight which was around 5:30 pm, and at 8:30 pm we finally touched down at Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport and was received by our personal driver. I was exhausted but not tired and the memories and thoughts of my trip was spinning around my head like a sweet hangover from a beautiful wine. One such trip that I will treasure for life as since this visit had taught me in which “thing” I can find happiness in my life in actual sense? and that “thing” was not a material possession or plastic friends from social media, that “thing” was the moment itself, that very “time lapse” from which I wanted to walk out of.
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