Mumbai Meri Jaan

Welcome to my home. Mumbai is the place I call home. A city full of life, a city that never sleeps. The heart of Mumbai is its people. The people who give you a feel that life stops for nobody; one always has to be on the move. The people here are always trying to get somewhere; where do they aspire to go is something only they know or maybe even they don't. I have lived in Mumbai for most part of my life. Like many Mumbaikars, I came from a different part of India to this city for better opportunity. I did get many opportunities here to advance in my life. This city makes or breaks you. This city has given me a lot that I have today. I have traveled around the world, visited many places, even lived in different cities but my heart belongs to Mumbai. Every time I land back in Mumbai from my visits, I feel alive. There is something in the air of this city that makes you want to come back. I would love to share this love for my city with everyone around. If you haven't come to Mumbai then you should. It is the city that will get your heart racing. Welcome to Mumbai...Welcome to my home...
Mumbai is home to the oldest stock exchange in Asia, the Bollywood film industry, slums of Dharavi and some of the priciest real estate on earth. If Delhi is the administrative capital of India then Mumbai is the financial capital of India. From the glitz and glamour of South Mumbai to the slums of Dharavi, you will find a picture of Mumbai to suit your interest. From watching the sunset over Marine Drive, to hangout with friends on Bandstand or going for a stroll on Juhu Beach, the Arabian Sea is intergral part of your life in Mumbai. I always loved going to Marine Drive or Bandstand and watch the sunset on the horizon. It gives you a feeling of oneness with nature. Even going for walks on Marine Drives during the monsoons is the most thrilling experience. Rains and Mumbai; you can’t imagine one without the other. I still remember being stuck in the torrential rains that lashed Mumbai on 26th July 2005. I was coming back from work and my car broke down. I met two good-hearted strangers who dropped me home helped me. The soul of this city is its people. Strangers who will come and help you in times of need, they won’t think twice before offering a helping hand. Mumbai would never think if you are from Gujarat, Bihar or Tamil Nadu. The city will welcome you will open arms. There might be no place for the existing people here, but still the city will take in whoever knocks on its door. It never turns anyone away. Mumbai is home for anyone who wishes to call it home.
I already told you guys how much I love walking in the rains, hanging out at Marine Drive or Bandstand. But the best thing of about Mumbai is its trains: the lifeline of Mumbai. If you haven't traveled by trains in Mumbai then you really haven't experience the real city. But do it on your own risk because it is not for the faint hearted. We all friends use to take the trains for college and always struggling to just get into the trains. Forget place to sit, if you even get a place to stand properly you are lucky. The best part was trying to get off on your station. You start preparing for this battle well before your station comes. We loved to just stand on the door even when the trains were empty. It was to feel the air of Mumbai brushing against your face. Oh, how I miss those days. I love driving through Navy Nagar and then going to Bade Miyan for awesome food. If you ever go to Bandstand, then I would say walk a little uphill and visit the Mount Mary Church. Just being here gives me complete peace of mind. And how can I forget Elco Pani Puri. I have seen this place grow from a small roadside stall to a full-fledged fast-food restaurant. Now that what I call business development. You will find numerous success stories like this in Aamchi Mumbai. There is an array of things one can Mumbai. You can never get tired of this city. If you do, then it is entirely your fault. Just open your eyes and this city will present you will place in front of your eyes its real beauty, you just have to have the heart to take it all in.
I might move to any corner of the world but Mumbai will always be my home. I always leave a piece of my soul back in this city; I am always longing to return back to my home.