Mumbai Meri Jaan VII

14th January:-
We started this day, with a nice walk in the beach. For a distance it was great experience, however slowly we had to negotiate our ways with the water and human wastes. I hope you understand, people, morning, urgent….etc, etc. We returned home as soon as possible and when we came back, Jaswinder and his dad were ready to leave for their work.
After having a heavy breakfast, we left Jassu’s house and went to Church gate station. Dabbawalas were getting ready with their Dabbas, and I was only able to get some snaps with them, in their busy schedule. I still had lots to do in Mumbai, based on my initial list.



From there we took a walk around and reached Fashion Street. It is another great shopping destination, where people get all the imported dress materials at very cheaper rates. I bought some 3 or 4 t shirts, and Subha again filled her bags with dresses.
We took the double decker bus and roamed around for sometime, we crossed the dhobby ghat and returned to the same place, where we boarded the bus.



Our lunch was planned at Noorani’s near Haji ali, which missed on the third day of the trip. We then walked to Nehru planetarium to watch the noon show. Children usually will be more excited at these places.



After the show at Nehru Planetarium, we got into a mall just next to it and watched a 4 D, show with effects of rats running below you, and sprinkling bloods and water.
After enjoying the show, I rechecked my things to do list,
1) Eat Vadapav, ==> Done
2) Travel in double decker bus ==> Done
3) Travel in last local ==> Done
4) Meet dabbawalas, ==> Done
5) Visit the dobbyghat ==> Done
6) Have drinks in dancebar etc,etc.., =========???????????

Holding it in hand, I saw Subha she said, “NEVER EVER THINK OF THAT”.
I started walking behind her with a sad face. A guy on the road was handing over mid-day news papers freely to everyone, and headlines read “DANCE BARS RAIDED: BEAUTY QUEENS ARRESTED”, folding the news paper in my hand I said “hey I am not interested to see dance bars anymore:-)”
We took a bus to Santa Cruz which drove us over the Worli-Bandra sea link and it was a nice sun set to see from there. We bought some sweets from Ramanlal mitahiwala, again one of the old favorites of Subha.



We reached Jaswinder’s home, took our bags and started rushing to Dadar station, from where our departure train had to start.
While we were travelling to Dadar, I recollected the memories, of all these days, and was already planning my next trip to Mumbai; of course you know it is not that easy in this year.
We got into the s8 coach and exactly while we settled down, the train started moving. We both came to door of the coach and stood one last time to see the city.
This city, for many it gave money, for some it gave poverty, for some joy, for some sadness…..however for us it gave a bunch of beautiful days which we will never forget.
With “Avida, Alvida” song in our ears we started our return journey and for it was not a return it was just a new beginning………………………….

Mumbai Meri Jaan VI

13th January:-
This day was dedicated to hang around Subha’s old hangouts and so we decided to roam around Nerul, Vashi and other nearby areas. She told me, she used to be at these places on almost all the Saturdays before 5 years.
However it became very hard for her to identify each place with so many tall buildings now. We reached Nerul and walked up a small hill to reach the modern Balaji temple. We had prasads and walked on the same road. Earlier when she had told me, but I didn’t believe; however later I saw them together, I saw, a Temple, Jain Temple, Gurudwara and A church on a single road it was really great. They could have named that road, as Bharath road.
After placing our petitions to all the gods, we went to a college, SKS College. Again it was to see the 45 feet high Hanuman statue. We tried to take a snap here, and the security came running towards us and shouted not to take. But, here it goes………


It was around 1200 noon, and we had planned to have lunch at Mulund at Sachin’s hotel. However I heard it was closed. We then reached Vashi, We walked around the small-big area for more than 3 times, but Subha couldn’t even recognize a single old land mark there. Luckily, she was able to identify one hotel, in which they used to have lunch, Hotel Navarathna. It was a decent looking semi AC restaurant again, and we ended having a nice vegetarian lunch there.
We walked around from there for a kilometer and she had stories for each 100 meters from there. Stories like, this is where we eat pani puri, this is where we sit and watch trespassers, this is where we buy fruits, vegetables etc.., etc..,


After the Operation vashi was over, we decided to get to her PG and pack her things and then go to my PG, pack mine and proceed to Santa Cruz, where we would stay in her friend’s house.
Unfortunately due to the non availability of PG keys, we were delayed. I left her at her PG, and took off to mine, I asked her to reach Thane and take a bus to Borivilli, and on the way I would be ready with my bags.
As planned, she took a bus from Thane and me on the way I boarded the same bus, after a huge round rush we reached Santa Cruz station at 2130 hrs.
It was Lodhi-Ki-Raath, a Punjabi festival night, and Jaswinder(Subha’s friend) took us there. It was similar to Tamil Nadu’s Bhogi festival. Where we used to burn all the old items of the house and get ready to invite the new ones.


After having dinner, we took and auto to Jaswinder’s house. It was quite, beautiful, small and especially in one of the busiest areas of the city. He had almost accommodated everything a family needs, in that tiny house. It was walk able distance from beach, and also very near to the airport.

Mumbai Meri Jaan V

12th January:-
After a tiring day long journey the previous day, we had decided start the day very late, on this day. As usual, we met at Thane station and as usual Subha was waiting for me. We took a train to Dadar and from there we reached Bandra. Today most of the time, we spent in shopping at Subha’s most favourite shopping place, linking street bandra.
The best thing in Bandra is that you need to bargain and quote only 30% of the amount which the shop keeper asks. For example, if he quotes 100rs, you start your bargain at 20 and fix it at 30Rs, yes believe me, 30Rs. We did some shopping and Subha even made some of the shop keepers mad with her funny Mathematics and Hindi.
We entered a shop to check out for footwear. She selected one of the best ones and the shop keeper demanded Rs 500 for it. Subha bargained and we ended up for Rs 175, while the first one was getting packed, she chose one more, and we both knew it was better than the first one. She keeper understanding our interest said he would charge Rs 350 for that one alone, so total of Rs 525. However Subha didn’t want to pay more than Rs 250 together, yes 250. Even I was shocked when she quoted Rs 75 for the second one. At last the poor shop keeper was ready even to give both for Rs 350. But she never wanted to increase even a single penny more than Rs 250. I was totally confused seeing her. She didn’t buy anything and came out of the shop. I pulled her aside and asked what she was doing? I said you were ready to pay Rs 175 for the first one and the second one was even better, we were getting it for Rs 175 again, why didn’t you pay it? She said I was only ready to pay the same price for the second one also. Now my confusion had hit all the heights, she explained, Rs 175 for the first 175 for the second and total Rs 250. I turned to look at that poor shop keeper; he was still drawing some numbers in the air. I had to bang my head somewhere for her poor Mathematics, but was able to curse only her teachers.

I gave her a calculator and we ran from there as fast as we could before the shop keeper hit us. Being a Salman Khan fan, Subha insisted in having lunch only at Lucky hotel, where we were told Salman had once entered for his lunch. Unfortunately even a single waiter didn’t knew if Salman had really come there. The food was nice in that Semi AC restaurant.



After finishing the delicious lunch, we jumped into a bus to Mount Mary church. This was where famous Amar, Akbar, Anthony movie was shot.



From there we walked through beach road (band stand) we reached Salman Khan’s house and waited for 2 hours to see him. And it was the luckiest day in my life. I was in front of dragon’s house and escaped from meeting him. Wow…..what an escape ;-)
Later when it was confirmed that he is not at home and that’s when Subha showed some pity on me. She agreed to move to juhu beach to view the sun set.
At Juhu beach, we ate Kalakhatta and had a nice walk. We also had one of the best…..no it was THE best pav bhajji in Shiv Sagar near Juhu beach and in fact the costliest in my life. We later understood that it was run by a person from Karnataka. Yeah guys, again a SAGAR there also.



Subha’s friend Jaswinder invited us to his place to stay there, but we had to go back to our PGs to get our luggage, we promised to stay with him the next day and he agreed.
Our last on this day was at ISKON temple, initially I hesitated to get into the temple because I had had Chicken for lunch, and however Subha drove me in. While we were getting out from the temple, one old Saadu asked us to chant “Hare Krishna Hare Rama” for 108 times. I ignored him, but Subha was explaining him with her own reasons for not ready to do it. Later we both ended up in doing it.
We ran as fast we could to catch the last trains to our PGs and got settled.