rock n roll Concert!

 An effort to take off in pursuit of unknown territory: I chose, with much trepidation, to visit my college-going daughter in her domain- not to invade it but to rediscover anew, perhaps, my own college (hood). Having never attended a traditional form of university education myself, i was excited to vicariously live, just for that little bit, a life from within a life- not my own, yet very much mine: my child’s, one that i had let go with great difficulty. The ultimate test of trusting oneself, one’s parenting, one’s offspring to surge ahead without holding her hand, without looking over one’s shoulder constantly. And I succeeded!

She did it, i did it, we did it. On my return flight from Mumbai to Delhi, i write of this short sojourn of mine, having trod a hitherto unknown territory, which became all mine. I rejoice in sharing fresh nuggets lest they fade into oblivion or stale with keeping.

Day 1- Sikka nagar/Prathrana Samaj

I enter my daughter’s PG. Earlier on, am taken by surprise at her utter confidence in having come all the way to the airport to welcome her mother. She is bursting with joy and is chatty and is clearly the leader in her territory. On entering the PG area i am not happy to see the milling crowds and filth on the sides of the road. The building where she lives is fairly dilapidated. The room is for two, quite small but it is neatly stacked. Her things look familiar. I smile quietly. The journey begins.

For my cuppa tea she has to enter the landlady’s apartment repeatedly to fetch microwaved hot water. They are not provided with any amenities for basic living, so both girls have to constantly knock & enter the owner’s home. It is not a comfortable situation. The sink is constantly clogged and the landlady (a doctor by profession) washes her hands off the entire matter, quite literally. It troubles me, but the girls are unfazed. I wonder why and how people treat others in this manner. The partnership between landlady & girls is commercial in nature, but even basic courtesy is missing.

Daughter is hopeful of moving out of this place therefore keeps her cool and goes about her business with apparent indifference. I am not happy yet pleased at my child’s resilience. Not one complaint so far, only information given when asked. She already seems older & wiser.

We emerge for a stroll toward the sea. It is an extremely pleasant evening, and the sea, a mere 20 minute walk. Mother & child happily spend an hour before turning in for the night by 10 pm, since strict instructions at the PG forbid the young girl from staying out later. The day ends reflectively, and with the hope of a sweeter morrow. 

DAY 2 – Phoenix Mall & the Search for a Home 

We arise with difficulty- lazily, Hot water from owner’s apartment, some tea and snacks. Some discussion on what one would occupy oneself with before meeting with the property broker who will show us some new PG apartments, later in the day. Daughter needs a new pair of shoes, and a portable charger. We are soon on the local train to Lower Parel. It is very exciting for me. I like trains, and short, swift rides particularly. People are everywhere and i like to observe life through them. Lower Parel arrives all too soon.

I am teased to death about being a typical tourist by daughter since i try and capture everything i see through my lens. I want to build a permanent image in my mind of this city which is already beginning to fascinate me, as it has many others before me. Remembering Maximum City…I tread on.

At Phoenix Mall : Crocs, Noodle Bar, Tees- 2 hours later we are good to go. It is time to head back and meet with the realtor/broker community which has a formidable reputation throughout the world at large. Indian “middlemen” are a special breed that makes the task a challenge which I am now ready to take on for daughter’s sake- it’s love, isn’t it!

One PG after another is one horror after another; space constraints, greedy landlords, stuffy rooms, airless zones, some even windowless. I am beginning to sense suffocation. Searching for that one place which will tell me that daughter will breathe fresh air, will gain more than elbow space; will have a nice academic ambience and may even thrive…a journey within a journey.  

2.5 hours later, am exhausted and sore from all the walking in a new pair of shoes. 3 hours later, we are wondering if such a place exists at all. Compromise – the keyword is buzzing in our heads!

Just over 3 hours and we hit the jackpot! Behind Metro Cinema, there is one such PG- it is airy, a little over our budget, but there is light and air and cooking facilities. Daughter and i are willing to give in any document asked for and sign any paper by now. Compromise? Needless to say, we make the deal, give in a token amount and run back to her current living quarters for one last night!

 Before we hit the sack, the Music Fest at St. Xavier’s college delights our tired bodies, and soothes our frayed nerves.

Dinner is celebratory and a sweet sleep overcomes our senses that night.

 Day 3 : disengagement & a new beginning

Packing is a hectic form of exercise we fervently engage in. The faster we pack, the sooner we can leave here. Now the pace is frenetic and we are eager to make the move as smooth as possible. It is not easy to get everything collected over the past months into neatly packaged bags. Our attempts prove successful, and we are able to get to the new pad in record time- by 1 pm, as foreseen.

The new PG seems airy, with a friendly ambience and the girls welcome daughter. She is delighted, as am i.

Again, i am taken aback by daughter’s fervour to unpack straightaway and claim the new place as her own, like marking her territory. She is adept and quick.

We move out for a walk after she’s done. It’s a good day and a great job! We are both pleased and do a high-five as a congratulatory gesture!

At dusk, we roam Mumbai, unfettered and utterly satisfied at having achieved what we’d never thought achievable in the shortest possible timespan. Wings in our feet.

Afterward, again, a delightful classical music concert at her college brings our day to a close and we saunter home pleased as punch.

DAY 4 : Back to work

 Daughter is up early- readies herself for college and rushes off after gulping down some milk and grabbing a health bar. I am thinking: ”so this is how she is on a normal, college-going day!” The mother in me protests- she must eat well, why hasn’t she showered? I bid her farewell, and take stock of my plans.

I am off to the Churchgate station to catch a train to Goregaon, suburban Mumbai. It is not to happen as i get a message from Delhi forbidding me to use the train since news says that passengers are stranded. The cab turns its head and we are on our long journey from South Mumbai to Goregaon! The breeze is delightful and i soak in the Mumbai sea and sun. Bliss. Time is always on my side.

After an hour plus am at a friend’s home- it’s beautiful- i am welcomed warmly and lunch is sumptuous.

I return by 1st class, ladies compartment in the Mumbai train. What a wonderfully languorous journey. I am full and very sleepy by now.

Walking awakens my senses, and college beckons i get to spend some time with daughter’s friends and watch her at her natural best. She is tired but seems comfortable in her skin and at home in the college courtyard, by the buzzing canteen. We share some apple-juice.

Back at the new PG : shower, some snacking and then some shopping. The night is fresh and the girls around her are friendly. I warm to the new PG as does daughter. Everyone has a laptop, a movie and music in their ears. We fade away.

Dreamless sleep.

DAY 5  : Les Misérables & reconnecting with old Friend

Routine is similar to previous day’s, clamoring for attention at 7.30 am, but this day i insist on packing a sandwich- which is devoured by her friends at college i am later informed with a chuckle. So be it!

We have a rendez-vous for a movie- and what a delightful film indeed: the classic Les Misérables. We emerge from Sterling Cinema all teary-eyed but hearts full of hope and wonder.

Tea Centre at 5 to meet an old friend fills us with more wonder. It is an interesting and entertaining encounter for us both.

A superb dinner at Pizza by the Bay is the grand finale to a fabulous day in Mumbai. We are settling in. I have reached a level of comfort, watching her blossom into this young person- confident and quite self-assured. A mother’s heart is getting the confidence it yearns for.

Day 6 : Roots & Freedom

Routine shots…..lazy start for mom, but tiffin is packed with rice & daal, which i have cooked on the previous day. As a special treat i quickly dive back into bed for an hour. Have a rendezvous fixed at Bombay Gym with my maternal cousine – we haven’t met for over 20 years so there’s excitement. Will we get on? Sure as hell we did! There was quick catching up of the years gone by, a little snippet here & there about our childhood- visits to Mumbai & Delhi and we settle in with fruit & coffee. It is a rather pleasant affair and we part with the promise of a reassemble at her mom’s in the evening. We have to also meet each others’ daughters!

Afternoon is relaxed at PG- chit-chatting between shower, changes and then at dusk, the setting off for maternal aunt’s home. We move into a fine evening. Reconnecting with our Bangla roots makes me very nostalgic, nudging daughter who is intrigued by all she hears and eats. The meal is typical of a Bangla home, and it is not her favourite. She manages to dig into some fried aubergine and a bland veg preparation. Boiled rice perhaps, and a wonderful desert of meringue with ice-cream & steamed plums saves the meal for the child.

We are sped off in aunt’s car and reach home quite pleased with the day. Also reuniting with one’s cousine & her young daughter was quite the icing on the cake. It was something I had really looked forward to. Somehow, daughter is a little overwhelmed by it all, is the impression I carry.

 Day 7 – Farewell to Mumbai – Goodbye my child

On the last morning, the routine irritates me, and I wish she would just remain “home” with me. The ardent university student allows not for it, so I bid her a fond farewell till we meet again at 12 noon for a Chinese meal at ‘Royal China’ (came with the high recommendation of an aunt who’s perhaps the foodiest person I know and would only recommend that which is perhaps the best among the best!)

The meal is surely the best I have had in any city. We tuck in, and a delay is flight is announced as we eat. Shucks! Daughter has a train to catch, and I, a plane. We take stock of the last few days as we dig into the most sumptuous Chinese meal with Dim sums and mushroom rice.  I hide my sorrow. She is excited about the debate she is participating in, at Kolkata. I borrow some of her pleasure in her future activities and feel her joy. I am grateful for the time together and nudge my heart to let go. We are at the PG giving finishing touches to our well-packed suitcases. It is time to leave. The lump in my throat reappears.

We hail a cab and a long and tight hug does it for me; I feel free, and perhaps just about ready. She walks away from me with her small bag in the opposite direction, as my cab picks up speed. I peep out of the window and see her back; what I see is my baby all grown and a fine young lady too. Pride wells up in the form of moisture at the very corner of my eyes, and I bless my luck, my life and this city which allowed me to roam its entrails free and unfettered. I never felt like a trespasser or an outsider.

Wiping away the wetness from my eyes, I smile into the cool winds that blow away my passing grief.

Today, sitting in my home, I look back with uncontained joy. Mumbai, as a city is not just a vibrant & pulsating being, it is also one whose rhythm can easily overpower you…it sweeps you along unwittingly. Mumbai’s music and drumbeat resonate with anyone who’s willing to live life full throttle. One must permit oneself to be swept along its waves, high or low. The sea certainly adds to its character and bearing. Mumbai is as cultured, as volatile, as boisterous or as quiet even as you are. Mumbai is a perception before it becomes a reality, unique to each.

I observe a very happy young girl in Mumbai, so half the battle’s won, if any there be. As a mother, or as a girl, I went along to give of myself, and I was awarded and rewarded plentiful. If a ‘Diary’ can emerge in 7 days, surely a novel is burgeoning!!