A breezy weekday stroll through Mumbai

I love showing people around this city I love so much! Mumbai- city of dreams, hard work, happy spirits and a melting pot of people from all over India. Truly, it gives an opportunity to everyone. So, when a school friend called up one fine sunday morning to give news that he was in town, we quickly arranged a monday meet. Place of meeting- Victoria Terminus- Trust me no one can get lost here. Although it's said that most people get lost at railway stations, not at this terminus.

Our wonderful encounter started with walking past Azad Maidan, through khau galli (eatery lane in english, though its not a formal name!), catching up on the last few years. The stroll through leafy enclaves in Marine Lines made us aware we were starving throughout. A sumptuous meal accompanied with Cranberry Juice and buying Tinkle issues for ourselves which we later signed for each other made for a great laughter session. I kept pointing Art Deco structures, and spouting history too. My friend is a patient listener and we clicked quite nice images of the Kala Ghoda district while wandering through the many charming fort lanes. Walking is the best means to experience a city. I have always reiterated this view and thankfully I always find companions who love to walk. We entered Jehangir Art Gallery and lost ourselves in the surreal paintings of Vinod Sharma, whose works in four colours- Burgundy, Brown, Black and Blue was on display. It was a surreal foray into mind and nature, and captivated by this very fascination for the unseen the paintings caught our attention. We spent a good hour looking though the canvases and discussing the myriad hues of humans and nature. A walk upstairs led us to the Jehangir Terrace, which is absolutely my favourite place to have a dekko at South Mumbai's heritage precinct with its mix of Victorian and Gothic architecture that occupies a place of pride in all Mumbaikars' hearts. The cool shade on the terrace with its own quiet is an absolutely great place to read in peace. How I always wish to camp there and spend the night looking at the star filled skies- a wonderful dream to cherish!

When old school friends meet, it's always like testifying to Einstein's Theory of Relativity! I needed this break from my exam schedule and hectic academic workload. My friend came in as a blessing in disguise. The day spent in laughter and some serious contemplation on "how to enjoy life" will remain a treasured memory for many years to come. I think it's important and at times very essential to look at our lives through someone else's eyes. We find so many threads previously ignored and dismissed by our cynic brains that it might make us think if we really have been leading dull or unhappy lives. Apart from all this self-contemplation, the laughter happy 4-5 hours really made a huge difference. Friends have that special knack of bringing happy spirits and enthusing a fresh life in our otherwise stagnant world. We have alienated ourselves so much from natural habitat and simple joys of living that such meets do make us feel alive and happy, once in a while. It's indeed a blessing to have friends who give our happy selves back to us. My happiest memory from this year as it comes to an end. Thank you, QJ! :) :)