Ye Mumbai Hai Meri Jaan !

I received this piece in a mail today and I just can't stop myself from posting this one here :) People ! This is one more reason why I love Mumbai :) Mumbai ROCKS !! People of Mumbai ROCKS :) Life in Mumbai ROCKS :) I love Mumbai :) Here comes the piece I am talking about....

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Suvendu Roy of Titan Industries shares his inspirational encounter with a rickshaw driver in Mumbai Last Sunday, my wife, kid and I had to travel to Andheri from Bandra. When I waved at a passing auto rickshaw, little did I expect that this ride would be any different.

As we set off, my eyes fell on a few magazines (kept in an aircraft style pouch) behind the driver's back rest. I looked in front and there was a small TV. The driver had put on the Doordarshan channel.


My wife and I looked at each other with disbelief and amusement. In front of me was a small first-aid box with cotton, dettol and some medicines. This was enough for me to realize that I was in a special vehicle. Then I looked around again, and discovered more - there was a radio, fire extinguisher, wall clock, calendar, and pictures and symbols of all faiths - from Islam and Christianity to Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism.


There were also pictures of the heroes of 26/11- Kamte, Salaskar, Karkare and Unnikrishnan. I realized that not only my vehicle, but also my driver was special. I started chatting with him and the initial sense of ridicule and disbelief gradually diminished. I gathered that he had been driving an auto rickshaw for the past 8-9 years; he had lost his job when his employer's plastic company was shut down. He had two school-going children, and he drove from 8 in the morning till 10 at night. No break unless he was unwell. "Sahab, ghar mein baith ke TV dekh kar kya faida? Do paisa income karega toh future mein kaam aayega." (Sir, what's the use of simply sitting at home and watching TV? If I earn some income, then it will be useful in the future.) We realized that we had come across a man who represents Mumbai – the spirit of work, the spirit of travel and the spirit of excelling in life. I asked him whether he does anything else as I figured that he did not have too much spare time. He said that he goes to an old age home for women in Andheri once a week or whenever he has some extra income, where he donates tooth brushes, toothpastes, soap, hair oil, and other items of daily use. He pointed out to a painted message below the meter that read: "25 per cent discount on metered fare for the handicapped. Free rides for blind passengers up to Rs50". He also said that his auto was mentioned on Radio Mirchi twice by the station RJs. The Marathi press in Mumbai know about him and have written a few pieces on him and his vehicle.


My wife and I were struck with awe. The man was a HERO! A hero who deserves all our respect. I know that my son, once he grows up, will realize that we have met a genuine hero. He has put questions to me such as why should we help other people? will try to keep this incident alive in his memory. Our journey came to an end; 45 minutes of a lesson in humility, selflessness and of a hero-worshipping Mumbai - my temporary home. We disembarked, and all I could do was to pay him a tip that would hardly cover a free ride for a blind man.

I hope, one day, you too have a chance to meet Mr. Sandeep Bachhe in his auto rickshaw - MH-02-Z-8508.


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Ye Mumbai Hai Meri Jaan :)

No place in this world can be as good as Mumbai :) (Atleast for me :) )

Love ya Mumbai :)

Love your spirit :)

Love your courage :)

Love the fighter in you :)

Love the life in you :)

Love everything about you :)

Right from the crowded streets to calm and composed nights at band stand or marine lines :)

From the honest rickshawalas to helping public :) From the almost unattractive kid staying in the slum to the page 3 element staying at Nariman Point :)

From Linking Road, Fashion Street To Inorbit, Center One and Designer Stores :)

The list :) like always is endless :)

At the end of it :) all I know is... :)

Nothing can beat a life in Mumbai :)


P.S. Special thanks to you Moi for sharing this wonderful mail with me :)

Rehnaa Tu... Hai Jaisaa Tu...

No Promises to be made this time about being regular... Everytime I make one... I end up breaking it and I hate myself for that...

Anyway... Life has been a roller coaster ride in these past few months... So many things have happened... Things I had not anticipated at all.. Found people who I had never even dreamt of meeting again in life... Found some people who have become an inseparable part of my life in a really short span of time... mended some broken relationships... and lost few beautiful relationships... Seems ! Its time I should start learning the ways of life... It really is highly unpredictible... Still ! I have no complains.. Each day has introduced me to a new face of life... Each day has given me a new ray of hope and each day has taken from me, one reason to smile... At the end of it... life still is beautiful and worth living, for amidst these changes.. are few contants in my life... I call them my Family, my Friends and my Freedom... These 3 F's defined me... defines me and will define me forever... These 3 F's will continue to be the constants in my life... giving me the strength to love more and live more...

I have been learning... I feel I have been a good learner so far... but sometimes I get scared... Will all these learnings change me as a person ? I am not sure if I want to change myself... People who have accepted me for who I am... have stood by me forever... They love me more for who I am today... for who I have been all these years... So do I really need to change ? These questions have been haunting me for long... I sometimes just want to clear my head of all these thoghts and run away... Run away to a land where life is perfect... and then I find myself wondering... What is PERFECTION ? Does PERFECTION really exist ? If it does... why don't I experience it at all ?

I make promises... I break them... a guilt feeling engulfs me and I find myself helpless... so weird it is... I often dream, I am drowning... despite knowing swimming really well... I just can't move at all... I feel breathless and I see myself drowning... The dream never ends.. I don't know, if at the end of it I survive or I become a part of that vast water body... Strange part is that I love water... My knowns often tell me I swim like a fish.. as if I were meant to stay in water... I myself have no control on me when I see water... I have always been in love with water... Be it the calmness of the beach or the roars of the waterfall... I just have always loved water... It seems to me, the most beautiful creation of God... Then why do I see myself fighting water... ???? Is it that I'll die fighting the ones I love ? I don't want that... I really don't want that...

I am an Aquarian.. The Water Bearer.. A Known had once said something about me, which I will never forget in life... I think he had pretty much defined me in those few words... he simply said..."Nidhi is like flowing water... Place anything in front of her... She will peacefully flow and take the same shape... She will just be what you want her to be... But try and stop her flow... and see how the calm water suddenly would roar and break all the boundaries..." I was speechless when I was told that... But when I thought peacefully... I just wondered... yes pretty true it was... pretty true it is... Nothing can stop water... You can kill fire by water.. but you can never kill water itself... When at peace... water will be your life... but when you try to forcefully stop its flow.. It can ruin everything around... A part of me relates to this analogy completely... infact a major part of me... but that left alone small part of me gets scared sometimes.. of myself... Will I end up hurting my loved ones... ?

I have no clue what am I writing and why am I writing all this... I just felt like writing thoughts that are haunting me right now.. and I came to you my blog.. you ve been abandoned by me for a long time.. you still accept me like this... why cant people in my life be the same... Why can't I be accepted for who I am... for what I am...

All I want is to be taken for who I really am... what I truly am... Good or Bad... I belong to my Family and my Friends.. I was a part of you, I am a part of you and I want to be a part of you forever and always...

And yeah... Thanks Dost ( I Hope you read it ) ! for dedicating the song to me last night :) May be you did it just like that :) but after a long time, I felt the peace I have been looking for from a very long time... :)

Here comes the song , that have rekindled in me a ray of hope :)

Rehnaa Tu.. Hai Jaisaa Tu..

Thodaa Saa Dard Tu.. Thodaa Sukoon..

Rehnaa Tu.. Hai Jaisaa Tu..

Dheemaa Dheemaa Jhonkaa.. Yaa Fir Junoon...

Thodaa Saa Resham Tu Humdum... Thodaa Saa Khurduraa..

Kabhi To Ad Jaaye.. Yaa Lad Jaaye.. Yaa Khushboo Se Bharaa...

Tujhe Badalnaa Naa Chaahu.. Ratti Bhar Bhi Sanam..

Binaa Sajaawat.. Milaawat.. Naa Jyaadaa.. Naa Hi Kum...

Tujhe Chaahu.. Jaisaa Hai Tu..

Mujhe Teri Baarish Mein... Bheeganaa Hai.. Ghul Jaanaa Hai..

Tujhe Chaahu.. Jaisaa Hai Tu..

Mujhe Teri Lapat Mein... Jalnaa Raakh Ho Jaanaa Hai..

Tu Zakhm De Agar... Malham Bhi Aakar Tu Lagaaye..

Zakhm Mein Bhi Mujhko.. Pyaar Aaye..

Dariyaa.. O Dariyaa..

Doobane De Mujhe Dariyaa..

Rehnaa Tu.. Hai Jaisaa Tu..

Thodaa Saa Dard Tu.. Thodaa Sukoon..

Rehnaa Tu.. Hai Jaisaa Tu..

Dheemaa Dheemaa Jhonkaa.. Yaa Fir Junoon...

Haath Thaam.. Chlanaa Ho To..

To Dono Ke.. Daayein Haath.. Sang Kaise..

Ek Daayaa Hogaa.. Ek Baayaa Hogaa..

Thaam Le.. Haath Ye Thaam Le..

Chalanaa Hai Sang.. Thaam Le..

Rehnaa Tu.. Hai Jaisaa Tu..

Thodaa Saa Dard Tu.. Thodaa Sukoon..

Rehnaa Tu.. Hai Jaisaa Tu..

Dheemaa Dheemaa Jhonkaa.. Yaa Fir Junoon...

Thodaa Saa Resham Tu Humdum... Thodaa Saa Khurduraa..

Kabhi To Ad Jaaye.. Yaa Lad Jaaye.. Yaa Khushboo Se Bharaa...

Tujhe Badalnaa Naa Chaahu.. Ratti Bhar Bhi Sanam..

Binaa Sajaawat.. Milaawat.. Naa Jyaadaa.. Naa Hi Kum...

Rehnaa Tu.. Hai Jaisaa Tu..

Thodaa Saa Dard Tu.. Thodaa Sukoon..

Rehnaa Tu.. Hai Jaisaa Tu..

Dheemaa Dheemaa Jhonkaa.. Yaa Fir Junoon...

Am finally... at peace... atleast... for now :)

Ek Baar Fir... Purani Raahon Per... Mai !!

2 Months... Surely is a big time.... To stay away from something you love a lot.... Am back...Back to my blog... Back to a friend who listens to me and doesn't judge me at all... It feels great... To be back... Work has been keeping me too busy these days... Am hardly getting any time for myself... My day starts at 5:30 am in the morning and I am usually awake, working till 1 am... By the time I am done with my work, I am left with no energy to do anything else... but to retire to my bed...

Not to forget mentioning the love that has been showered upon me by few "frenz"... who left no stone unturned to tell me that am a workoholic and basically people like me ruin life for other in the office... by working for so many hours.... just for those wonderful frenz of mine... "Am not a workoholic... but for sure I cant walk off just like that... If am responsible for something.. I find it too difficult to run away from that work...

Anyways... Today when I woke up... Instead of going for my daily jog... I just felt this undying desire to post something on my blog... Luckily , after 2 months today was a day when I had very little work to do in office... To be true.. I was feeling quite strange without any work today :D So here I am...

The first thing that I want to do is, to fulfill the promise I made to Mayank and Urv... Am so sorry guys for doing it so late, but what matters the most is that here I am with what I promised to both of you :)

Thanks a zillion times for the wonderful award :-) I received this "Proximity Award" from Urv, Richa, Varun and Mayank...

HUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGZZZZZZZZ to all of you my dear friends :)


Love you all a lot :)

Just to describe this award :)

"Blogs that receive this award are 'exceeding charming'. This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated."

I would love to share this award with my friends.. but luckily all my blogger friends already have been awarded with it :) so I will better come up with a new award for you guys soon ;)

Am not sure if anyone would ever come back to my blog if I start writing about everything that has happened in last 2 months in this one post ;) so I will better come up with small posts... may be a post per week won't be too difficult for me now :)

As for now... life has become quite a pain on weekdays cuz of excess workload but life has become so beautiful also recently, for I have found an amazing set of frenz in Pune... and s2 months back when we had decided to go for a trek... that was the day and till today , not even a single week has gone when we have not gone for a picnic , or a trek or an explore the jungle kinda thing over the weekends....

Tomorrow night we are leaving for "Vasota"... Am sure it is going to be fun... Will now soon start blogging about all these treks too :)

And once again :) Yippppppppppppppppppppppieeeeeee

Am so happy to be back on my blog :)

I will b back soon :D Pakkkkkkkkkkaaaaaaa Promiseeeeeeeeeeee :)

FINE !! Here is a post !!

My staying away from Blogosphere surely is giving enough work to certain Nikamma's like Prats ;)

Here comes a guest post from him...

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The recent economic recession has started showing the effects in the blogosphere as well. The situation which you all must be knowing has become worse since past few months when on of our star bloggers have been under a consistent fire from the multinational giant International Booing Machine INC (IBM INC) Inc. As all of you must be aware that some public interest group and non profits have come ahead for the cause and opened a front FINE (Freedom Immediately for Nidhi Establishment). FINE is doing fine work to protect the local blogging Industry in the turbulent times. Our official correspondent, let's call him P for now, have got a chance to have a chat with Nidhi who has risen to instant fame with whole FINE issue.

A few excerpts from the chat is as following-

P: Good Morning Maam, How are you feeling?

N: Good Morning, I am very disgusted with things around. This kaam wali bai, she doesn't do a thing properly. She would come to clean the house when I have left and won't do an iota of work see how much dust…

P: I meant feeling about the issue?

N: Which issue, oh yes. This is a very important concern; I really feel very deeply for the cause and it should be taken up very seriously. These multinationals I tell you they only want to exploit the rich Indian intellect for their own good.

P: Suddenly this whole FINE thing, it has become such a big deal. People are saying some particular MNCs are trying to curtail your freedom of expression. What is this issue all about?

N: That's true, the issue has got a highlight lately. In fact the issues like this should be brought to the forefront. Now I am actually caught between a war between two multinational giants. The International Booing Machines who holds my current contract is in straight confrontations with another giant Go-Gol who holds the right to my blogs. IBM INC has come up with a negative strategy against Go-Gol to prohibit access to my highly intellectual content. This is where I have caught in the competition of two.

P: But Nidhi IBM INC is not a competitor of Go-Gol

N: Now that's what you media people do not understand. See IBMINC is planning to get into the online space. Now they just can't tolerate that someone who is associated with them is producing content for their competitor. Abhi mere blog ki wajah se Go-Gol ki sites par log aayenge to madsense revenue to unko hi milega.

P: But you write so long posts; people don't read them anyways so how does it matter?

N: Aap press walon ki yahi baat buri lagti hai, Mere posts lambe hote hai that's in the interest of Go-Gol . People often get scared of the long posts end up reading the advertisements to save time. You know I am a blogger who is the part of Go-Gol's core money making strategy and they are actually hunting people like me.

P: Oh Now I understand, But N then they should be promoting you to write more?

N: Oh no, they will not do it openly to disclose their strategy, but you know you can verify it from people in IBMINC. They are actually fighting back.

P: How?

N: Oh they just assigned me things of a 10 person so I am not left with anytime to generate content for Go-Gol (yeah that's they call it). Will you believe they make me sit in the office for 14hrs a day, okay 15. You know one they got sniff of my plan to write something over the night. The corporate stalwarts in NYC head office ensured that I couldn't make it home. They made me stay through the office whole night. One of my Hell-Wishers told me that if I tried to leave I just might not reach home.

P: But this is absolute violation of the fundamental rights. How can a corporation prohibit an individual to generate content to one's content.

N: Absolutely, that's what the FINE movement is all about. You know these corporations violating the fundamental rights this should be stopped. I should be allowed to produce my stuff after all it contributes to the GDP and the growth of the nation. So that's what FINE is all about.

P: Thanks N,it was really nice talking to you. I am sure our readers would now be completely aware of the movement and I am sure you would be supporting this movement. After all its our country and the Multi National Corporations are exploiting the talent pool of this country and this is a sin and would ruin our country in a longer run. The Onus is on us to prevent these devil MNCs to ruin our beloved motherland. So on this day if you are working for an MNC or an Indian Company that is just producing software for foreign companies to aap so rahe hai. Abhi jayiye aur http://rajeekhushi.blogspot.com/ & http://blog.prats.co.in (Founders FINE Movemet ) par apni presence register kariye. Its for us to fight against these multinationals…. Abhi kuch jyada ho gaya kya?? Do I sound like Prakash Karat?? I think I should end this here itself.

P.S. Nidhi if you want torture like the above one to stop, I believe you need to be writing far more often and also stop supporting the MNCs (don't get me started on this)

That Night !!

I am not sure if I am supposed to blog this incident.. cuz it left me numb for quite a long time and while I have now started writing about it... I can feel that weird and numb feeling creeping in once again...

I shop for most of my friends... My friends just let me know their budget and what they want and I get them whatever they want... Mostly I help them buy clothes, footwears , accessories and handbags.

Last Sunday was one such day, when I was supposed to shop for my roomie Geet... Me and Geet left for the market in the evening at around 5 pm. We were done with our shopping by 9 pm and decided to take our dinner in some restaurant... We were done with our dinner by 10 pm and hence we left for our flat.

It had got quite cold by then... I was in my churidar kurta and a shawl draped around me and Geet was in her jeans tshirt and a jacket... Enough to keep us from the cold wind that was thrashing against our faces while we were driving back home...

We were both laughing and discussing how we had shopped and got some real good deals and were kind of pleasantly surprised to know that we had spent quite a big amount on Geet's stuff in just 4 hours... It was then that I saw a thin figure walking on the other side of the road...

He was a senile man with a stooping back... wearing nothing but a completely torn underpants... shivering badly...

For a moment, I felt like stopping or a moment, but then I just didn't and drove ahead... And then in a minute I just turned my Activa back towards him...

It was quite late and there wasn't much traffic on the road... It felt kinda scary to go to him but something in me just told me that I had to go to him... I reached where he was standing, got down from my Activa and looked at him...

I can never forget that look on his face.. as if begging for a life... I am sorry but I can't just explain what it was... I have never felt so scared in my life... No.. I wasn't scared of him... I was scared for in a flash I just could see my grandparents in that state... I know its weird... Its too weird... but I just don't know why that thought came to me...

I just took out my jacket from my bag and gave it to him... That was the only thing with me at that moment... I thought of giving my shawl too but he somehow raised his hand to stop me...

Geet too was feeling almost as same as me... We didn't know what to do...

He tried to speak... but couldn't... He asked us in gestures if we could give him anything to eat... There was no place to get something to eat for him in vicinity... We just didn't understand what to do...

If we had asked him to stay there and gone to get something for him, it would have taken at least 30 minutes... So Geet took out Rs. 200 from her wallet and gave it to him , asking him to find something for himself to eat...

While we were there, few more people stopped by. One more guy gave the old man his jacket and one guy offered to drive the old man to some place, so that he could get the old man something to eat....

Me and Geet left for our home... Through out the way, neither of us spoke a word... May be the silence was speaking and at the same time the silence was killing both of us...

We reached home... and just went to our room and lied down on beds without speaking a word to each other or to the other two roomies...

After an hour or so, we both got up, washed our faces, kept all the stuff in place... and went back to our beds...

We both knew none of us were sleeping... probably thinking about the same thing...

I didn't sleep that night... There was a train of thoughts that kept making noise , running from here and there in my mind...

I was happy that day to see that even today humanity exist... There were a lot many people who had stopped that day after we stopped and helped the old man... May be we all are always ready to help the needy... may be we just need that trigger... may be me and Geet were just a trigger that day...

I was happy cuz I and Geet could help the old man in a little way... I know that was just a temporary help... but that was all I could do at that moment...

I was numb cuz I couldn't imagine how could life be so cruel... What could that man have done to deserve something like this ? Why few people drive in Mercs, BMWs, Audis and few don't even have the bare minimum with them...

Why such a huge gap ? I could see my wardrobe full of clothes... I can wear new clothes for almost 2 -3 months in a row... and there that old man was... without a single shred of cloth on him... Why ? I felt ashamed... I felt sick... Was I or people like me responsible for all that in some or the other way ?

Why did I see Dadaji, Dadiji and Nanaji like that ? Why on earth did I see that... I did not like that image... I just did not like that thought...

My Dadi is 84 years old lady who is 5 ft tall and weighs 28 kgs... She hardly walks to any place... not cuz she can't, she can run... she has got so much of energy in her that it amazes everyone... but cuz she is like a baby to all of us... We all ( me and my bro and all my cousins ) just lift her in arms and take her to places... People in our colony and everywhere , often smile and laugh about this... This is kind of a trend in our family... no one lets her walk for she is such a doll...
















I could see how I usually go and lie down in Dadaji's lap and how we make sure he gets whatever he needs... I could see how I fight with Nanaji for not taking care of his health...

And there I were... sulking for I saw them in such a bad state.. so what if it were for a fraction of a second... the point is why did that image come to me...

Why this survival of fittest theory ? Why can't everyone get a bare minimum to live a normal life... I know all these questions make no sense... but this is how my thoughts are running in my head right now...

Its been a week, I am busy with my work... I am hardly finding time to breathe... but still there is one moment in 24 hours when I see that old man in my thoughts and I go numb... Its too weird... It was not the first time that I had seen someone in such a state...

My grandfather and dad have seen days when they really worked hard to save single penny... They both know what poverty is... Dad being a doctor, often gets to meet such people every now and then... and I have seen people helping needy people every now and then...

Still after all this, what I do not understand is... that why the rich keeps getting richer and poor keeps getting poorer ?

I called up mom at around 3 am... yeah I know it was stupid... but I had to talk to her... Poured out everything in front of her... shared with her whatever I was feeling...

She heard me and explained to me something that I had already known... but since it came from her :) it sounded just the way I wanted to feel at that very moment :)

She told me this is life and this will go on... She told me that the best we can do is to help someone in need and to make sure never do anything that could hurt someone... Not just this she also told me that the way I usually loose my mind whenever I see someone in tattered clothes or begging... I should not... For not everyone truly is needy... These days many people just use all these tantrums for easy money... targeting emotions of people around... She told me that what I did was correct and I should not bother myself with so much... for I was not responsible for any of those things happening to so many poor people...

She asked me did I feel even once that I should not have given the jacket to that man... and when I replied in a NO... she said that was the most beautiful part... You did not regret what you did... and you did it cuz you felt it should have been done...

She told me not to go overboard with all this cuz not everyone deserves that help... She hates it when fully capable of working as maids kinda ladies use their newly borns as props and beg in their names... I too hate that... but I usually end up giving something to them...

Mom told me I was doing no good that ways... I was simply helping such people grow more in number... I realized what mom said...

It is difficult to express and elucidate everything that we spoke about that night...

All I remember is, that one hour chat with Maa was enough to calm me down... Am not sure how am I going to bring any change in the world... I can't think that big... but I will try to help people who genuinely need help and would try to keep myself from going overboard... I need to understand that this is how nature is... There has to be a balance of everything...

There are rich... there are poor... there are nice people... there are bad people... there is good... there is bad... sometimes good will happen... sometimes bad will hit us... We just need to do what our heart says and we need to help our heart choose the right thing to do....

Am not sure if anything I said made any sense... I just had to being it out of me... I just had too...

There are so many things that have got accumulated inside my mind... that now I really need to take it out... and as always , I can think of only my blog to do this :)

I just wish I do what I should really do... what really should be done...

I wish....