Mumbai in my dreams

Mumbai! Don’t know why I was always fascinated about this place. When I was a kid my Dad uses to read ‘Times Of India’, Mumbai edition. Since we were at Indore we use to receive the paper at noon. Daily I use to eagerly wait for the paper and was the first one to get hold of it. I liked all the ads related to estates, exhibition….Seeing those ads I always wish to stay in multi stored building; just to pep below, wondering how the world would look like from heights) .And I also wished I could attended any of the exhibition in Worli, Andheri …Maybe this has always created a strong bonding with the place, the place I which I have never seen. I grew up with the feeling with a strong determination – I will visit the place for once.
It was destiny that I got campus recruited in a company that was working out of Mumbai. I was very enthusiastic about coming to Mumbai. “I will visit Mumbai beach daily’.

“God allows us to experience the low points
of life in order to teach us lessons we could not learn in any other way.
The way we learn those lessons is not to deny the feelings but to find the meanings underlying them.”

It was after I came to Mumbai, I could experience various aspects of life and learn from them.I faced the real life and tried to come out of the cocoon my dear one provided.

The first day I stepped in Mumbai. Hmmm….This is Mumbai; I was always eager to visit. I came here with two of my college mate, my papa and my friends Dad. We alighted in Borivali station. Our company had arranged accommodation at Andheri. We took a taxi and rided from Borivali to Andheri. It was my first glance of ‘City Of Dreams’.

I remember the first night I stayed in hotel without my parent near me. Till then I never stayed even a single night without them. I cried and decided I would go back. Many thought came in my mind - How can I leave the company? … I have committed so I would stay for one month….If I leave the company, what impression it will carry for my institution and will they visit any time there for campus recruitment…..

It was my first induction day in the company. In our HR sessions it seemed HR is speaking in French….timsheets, PAN card , CTC, Salary accounts…..What I am listening, I have to choose in which bank I want to open a salary account??? How can I do this? I can’t even call Daddy, I didn’t have cell phone. I have to tell them right now. I don’t have any idea which bank is good, which one is bad…..We were given the name of two banks to choose from. I decided based on the answer – In my experience, which out of the two banks has maximum number of ATM; that must be the preferred bank….

When I was leaving home, Mumma-Papa gave me 5000 bucks and one of their ATM card. Have I any time used ATM? I guess no … Have I any day spend money? No??? I never purchase anything by my own. Every time I knew what I need to purchase and how much I need to pay…And whatever I needed, I never needed to go out and purchase. In short – ‘I never knew how to manage and spend money. How much money I should keep in my purse? How much change I need to keep? When to make Change……’ In those days I was very reluctant to spend money I would ask my roommate to do all the daily shopping and I would pay her at end of month… I don’t how days changes, now I can purchase mobile phone, laptop…..alone.

Hmmm….One month has past …I didn’t even realize….I should wait for another month and then decide…….
I am still here in Mumbai.Learning and experiencing life, chasing my dreams….