Who Owns Mumbai?

I wrote this piece 3 years back, Just came across it so thought of posting it again on Whimsical Life


Land of million opportunities, where million dreams are buried and born every day, home to Bollywood testimonial to thousands of scripted success stories, witness to many, ‘Big Indian Dreams ‘coming true…,Maximum City, City that never sleeps…it can be associated with many such adjectives.
The city is Jewel of all Metros , Mumbai contributes 10% of factory employment, 33% of income tax collections, 60% of customs duty collections, 20% of central excise tax collections, 40% of India's foreign trade and rupees 40,000 crore (US $9 billion) in corporate taxes.*
But the big question which we have is, who really owns Mumbai? Is it the Men who Rule it, or self proclaimed Political leaders, or‘We The People’, wait a minute who comes under the purview of so called as we the people, is it the ‘Marathi Manus’1 or North Indians . If we dig deep within ourselves the answer is as clear as a crystal ball, Mumbai belongs to men and women who build this great city. And who are they, they are no one but common men and women who had a dream in their eyes and worked hard and chased it, and even if they were light years from fulfillment of destiny, they had a smile on their face.
And this ‘Stupid Common Man’ is tired of ‘Raj-giri’, pardon me for my language and use of famous phrases from recent bollywood flicks. Common man is crushed between some myopic and petty political actions, and pressure of earning daily bread. These actions actually may not give great deal of political mileage to a nascent Political Party, only it would play in hands of the ruling party. Let me not get my hands dirty by writing about our Politicians.
Talking about Marathi Manus, is against North Indians , I do think so, any stupid common man in Mumbai is too busy to care about stuff like that , here everybody has to think about their daily bread and any man Marathi, Gujrati or Bengali, tries to keep away from the mess. I have a serious doubt, if our leaders say that Marathi Manus is not getting his rights and a place that he deserves, I will ask who is Marathi Manus? Is he Milkha Singh that speaks better Marathi than Punjabi and has been a domicile resident of the city for 25 years or Rambharose who prepares better Puranpoli’s2 than a Marathi brahmen cook, or is Sheikh Nadeem who dances in Ganpati procession of Lalbaugcha Raja3. Even I was at the receiving end of things a very good friend of mine from Jaipur commented on a discussion on a b-school in Nagpur “ Sir your home is getting all the big ticket intellectual Investment”, I replied “Sir my home is the same as yours and we call it India”. This may sound to dramatic but this was the only reply I could think at the point of time.
I am Gurathi, and speak fluent Marathi and proud of the same, and I don’t believe that since one man went against the non Maharashtian’s the entire Marathi community should not be blamed. ‘An Eye for Eye leave all the residents of Mumbai Blind!.... As I always say.Revenge is sweet , but unfortunately not Fruitful!
* Mc Kinsey Report Published in 2005 in association with NASSCOM. http://www.mckinsey.com/locations/india/mckinseyonindia/pdf/NASSCOM_McKinsey_Report_2005.pdf

1 The Common Maharashtrian Man.
2 A Sweet delicacy from Maharashtra.
3 Lalbaugcha Raja is the oldest (75 years) Ganesh Mandal in Mumbai, They say all your wishes are fulfilled by lord Ganesha. This Idol has a first right of visarjan . Muslims in Crafford Market area, during the last day do a complete Pooja and then lead the procession before the Idol is immersed in Girgaum Chowpati in Mumbai.

The Midnight Owls

The bar shut its door's
We are high, so high that we hit the ground
mediocrity will astound
and performers debate

what is going to be our fate?

Oops Monday Office RD in & i am already late

Same old questions gonna haunt you mate!

Have you logged in 6 A/c yet?

And if you’re a fan of Mr. Safari,

There is no reason to worry!

Only sufferer will be the beholder

As sun sets

You Pal will be a beer-holder

Pop-corns will fly from up above in your mug!

Hi-tech music without earplugs

We get ready for another day,

With hangover to stay

Pipelines,Log-in's & meetings sound like

Bumble bees buzzing there way

humming, hissing, whispering all the way

if you are a Trainee

I am sure your head by now must be a macaroni,

But if you are a seasoned campaigner

you can prolong the date,

but the race never ends

pressure & targets mount

Shit! all my lustrous blacks have turned grey

now i don't keep a count

Gunning for Scalps,

Milking the clients,

squeezing the bucks,

the race never ends,

aspirations grow

they control my behavior

suddenly the next designation

is my only destination

i live from appraisal to appraisal

oh i so much wanna jump out of this treadmill

Its too fast & if i jump i fear i would be injured

fear dominates me i wanna break free i wanna break free

What do i do suggest me Mr. Safari...?

PS: Inspired by Dave Holloway's work, in fact first few lines i have taken from his " LOST"...

Very few outsiders will understand & correlate with people like RD, Mr. Safari & many things of oyr boring Mundae Office lives!

The legend of Frozen lake

This poem is a beautiful story showcasing a father daughter relation, i really don't know how this came to my

mind, but it's very close to my heart.




It was a Chilly Season,

I say a perfect Reason,

Time to put my rollers on,

Doing rounds at the ally seemed like a boring affair,

I say lets be adventurous, lets do some dare,

Oh yeah we goanna hit the frozen lake

The lake has its own beauty

Calm, serene, quite,

Still whisper’s stories,

Stories of love & romance,

Legends that date back to the centuries,

Seemed like a perfect Sunday,

An evening on frozen lake,

Coffee & Hot chocolate at Mc-Larne’s,

Dinner at Dates,

We strolled, skated & threw Ice ball’s,

Presence of snow in February was a bit of luxury,

It was getting dark,

We were not in hurry,

Skidding & Skating around,

We went to the middle of the lake,

I turned back to get my cell phone from the sack,

I hear a thud & a scream in her shrill voice,

I broke into laughter,

She fell again on her bumps,

I turned back to see my baby disappear in front of my eyes,

She was there, there she was!

I choked, I froze, couldn’t scream couldn’t shout,

I heard flapping, & babbling in water,

It was my daughter it was my daughter,

I kept on screaming somebody help!... Somebody!….

No one in the vicinity,

Predictions were of a snowy day!

All locked up in their room’s to watch Manchester United play,

Hey, hey I might lose my daughter due to frost

For my adventure, will I have to pay a big cost?

I was losing time, but not hope,

Can someone help me with a rope?

Chaos panic & pandemonium,

I am screaming shouting for help,

Has everybody in our town gone deaf?

As my dolly was exhausted in the shivering water,

I run with my skate’s, to escort someone,

It took me a while to return back,

All the way I prayed for time to stop,

As I approach I see my darling lying flat on the frozen lake,

Mix feelings run through my brain,

Heart pounding fast,

How did she come up? Is she okey?

Next morning as we enjoy hot chocolate on the warm hospital bed,

She tells me a tale which was hard to gulp,

The legend of the frozen lake was live, kicking & hauntingly true,

There was a hand that pushed my daughter back to life,

The invisible, mystical, hand of shepherd who help’s people stuck in frost,

He was guardian, he was angel, I started believing in legends & fairy tales,

Made be believe in divine!

Mystical Life

It’s been a while I haven’t written something, and I am doing this after lot of soul searching.


Life was never meant to be easy fair or nice, it is that nasty opponent which will time & again throw punches at you & especially when you least expect it. It’s not about getting up, being strong, fighting back & hitting it harder but sometimes it’s about sustaining the punches &; not get knocked out.
We all go through lean mean & bone dry patches in life; when we start to question our existence in the Universe and our ability to control it, leave alone control just our capacity to influence the elements in & around us.
In situations like these sometimes it’s best to let go, we always have a script in mind and if things don’t go according to plan, we are disappointed, & unhappy. But if we try and see carefully we are prisoners of our own device. We create certain set of expectations from our course of life & if the movie does not belong to the same genre we are obviously upset.
So what am I trying to say to have no aspirations, no dreams & goals? Absolutely not!
A man is no man without a mission, I am saying we should not have attachment to our aspirations, the key likes in re assessing what you want from life after every checkpoint if we redefine our goals, it would be a much easy task.
So how will one concur I have reached a checkpoint & hey I better reassess the goals, the answer lies within & you inner- self will never lie about it.

Hope!

There is a deep valley beneath,

I am holding on to this thin rope,

I have still not given up the hope,

There is chance of life, there is a scope.

A strong force pulls up the string,

And my belief becomes stronger,

I get pulled up,

Million thoughts go through my head,

I am going to change,

Not gonna be the same old me any longer,

I make a promise to my life,

I will cherish every second of it.

I will be a changed man.

Only if I could survive, I know which I can

I dream of Life,

I dream of love,

I dream of us being happy ever after,

The image is nice and Sharpe in mind,

Beautiful and only one of its kind.

Suddenly the friction between rocks and rope being pulled increases,

As my heart pounds,

Is there a twist in the tale?

I ask myself where did I fail?

If I die and meet the depths of Valley

Whom should I blame?

And who will pay for the claim?

No it just would be insane

To play the buck passing game.

It could be the rope,

I could be the rock,

It could be me at the wrong place at the wrong time

But its not the place, rock or rope…

As I still have the hope!

I will emerge of this valley with some scars

And for sure shoot at some stars.

But I would be all alone,

What are starts, what are cars?

If you are not with me

Life is an empty Jar,

With all the materialistic things filled in it to the brim,

All this without you is as good as a sentence to hell,

For my Sin’s I have committed

My mind wonders,

And as I am just about to reach the surface,

The rope’s final stands get cut…

The rope breaks,

And I initiate my descend,

Now I see all memories flashing clearly.

Those places, those talks, long, long walks,

In few seconds I will close my eyes forever

And they might see you never

I fall, I fall with a big blue bang,

You might ask me what happened to you?

The freefall was not good enough for you?

And I to sink beneath the depths,

I just hope I don’t ever open my eyes.

But to my surprise I find you sitting next to me,

Comforting me and telling me “it’s just a nightmare!”,

And sweetheart there is nothing to get scared.

Clinging on hope,

Standing on a very thin rope,

Waiting for you till eternity,

That will be my only hope

To cling on to this thin rope!

D E S T I N Y . . . . .

Destiny oh! Destiny what wicked games you play,
You make me feel like czar one day,
The next day I am a beggar.

You propel me up high in the sky,
The next moment I fall flat on the ground!
I never feel I am safe and sound.
Destiny oh! Destiny what wicked games you play,

Sometimes I wish to defy you.
But really can I deny you?
You show me light you show me life,
Give me courage, bring back hope,
Still why adversities have their scope,

Dose happiness lie in accepting you or expecting you?

Once a wise man said, ” your decisions decide your destiny!”
Is it true?
But what I sow is never what I reap!

I guess its me who has to change your course!,
Tell me is their any alternative resource?

It’s easy it’s easy to blame you
Is easy to curse you,
Buts its easier to work hard and reframe you!
I would fight and fight till everything is right.

I believe you exits,
But depending n you to shape me,
Is like trying to find coast in a thick mist,

Destiny oh! Destiny
You keep playing your games,
And I will play mine!
Let’s see who wins,
Destiny or one who is destined to win!

Conquest!!!!

I’ve risen from the ashes,
Just like phoenix,
I’ve rammed through many firewalls.

I’ve won loosing battles,
I’ve tasted water of all oceans,

When I arrive, all mighty emperors throw their throne away,
And run for their lives.
I got hundred’s and thousands of wives

My men are ruthless and relentless
For them taste of blood is sweeter than honey,
And its fragrance is better than millions of crushed roses

You cannot deny me,
You cannot defy me,
I am invincible,
I am Ferro!
I am God!

This is my last battle,
This is my final frontier,
Then I will be immortal,
No one can deny me,
No one can defy me,

I lad from the front,
I strike the enemy with full might,
This city is not goanna last long,
Soon my men will march with the victory song.

I see strong resistance,
There are even mothers and children for assistance!
My sword keeps on slashing fast,
This battle is going to last.

Night falls days pass by,
Still my men crawl and stand by,
The smell of blood is hanging deep in the air,
Now I know how did we fare.

Rosy sight everywhere,
Screams and shouts in the air,
I had a blood bath,
And achieved victory’s path,

I’ve conquered dead,
And not the death,
I cannot see a single fool upon whom I could rule!

My soldiers yell “We win! We Win!”,
I’ve committed a gigantic sin!
My sword has quenched her thirst,
But what about millions who will curse.
I don’t want the riches,
I don’t want the rags,
By conquering dead, I’ve conquered life,
You cannot win on a force of knife!

This is where my journey begins,
My aim is conquest of life,
Now I am a tourist, who has just begun,
And miles to go, and lots to catch,
Before he could snatch!

Quotes

Lance is Epitome of inspiration..

and i could not find a better fitting person.
> start believing in yourself and you can stretch the realms of possibility to infinity”

> “In a phase of adversity, its easy to be disheartened or devastated, but better be disappointed, because disappointment breeds champions”

> “ If you don’t risk anything you are running the biggest risk of your life”

> “ Vengeance is sweeter than honey!, but unfortunately not fruitful”

> “ If your will is superior, destiny crumbles”

> “Theirs a pleasure in being mad , Theirs a pleasure in being mad which few big mad men know”

> “You are not given dreams just because you don’t have the power to fulfill them”

> “No man is great,
the challenges that lie ahead of him are great, which in turn make him great”-inspired from movie VIRRUDH

> “At times you might be too close to the trees,
to see the woods and at times you might be so far away from woods that you cant see the trees”

> “ Average is equally near from the top as from the bottom
the choice is yours”

Tax Girl!!

This is a poem written by me on a great friend of mine named Purvi Pandya, but for me she will always be Choco-Chips!(their is a story behind this name)


She Sweetest thing you could find on this Planet
An angel in a human body...
Smile that could light up the entire Universe...
She will always bless you, will never curse!
Please find someone like.. I bet theirs no body in your sight!

Has a cute little nosy...
Always happy and rosy!...
Has tremendous warmth..
Makes you feel comfy and cozy!...

Difficult to keep her quite...
If you try to stop her she will create a big Riot!
Is like a Gene in a bottle!
A jack in the box.
She is a total Chatterbox...

If you think she is kid..
As I thought you just did.
You made a big Mistake Mr..
Yes indeed! She is smart and fine...
As precious as an Old French Wine….

She is fighter.
A winner..
Stay back you sinner!
If you mess up, she will have you for Dinner!

I call her the “Tax girl”…
If you mess up with your tax!…. Just relax…
Can come to her
And she will save your Ass..
Probably will help you to generate some cash….

No I’ mean jokes apart…
She is a real sweet heart!