Yeh hai Mumbai, meri Jaan

Finally, I put pen to paper (or in contemporary times, we can say, fingers to the keyboard) to write about few of the most eventful years of my life yet. And what better place than the heart of the country, the financial capital, the fashion destination, the Bollywood town, the city of dreams, Mumbai. From being all this to becoming 'Aamchi Mumbai', my Mumbai. The six years in the city have passed so quickly, like a horse running in a race, time flew. I have decided to put my thoughts on paper for I'm eternally grateful for how Mumbai has treated me, in a bed of roses, indeed. Mind you, I said roses, because roses have thorns too. 

My first tryst with Mumbai was when I joined the most prestigious institute in the country - IIT Mumbai, or IIT Powai as it is fondly called by the locals. I was barely a 20 year old who didn't know the ways of the world. In a protected cocoon till then, I ventured into hostel life for the first time in my life. Having heard quite some notorious stories about hostel life, I was a kind of happy nervous. As soon as I got allotted to a room, the intensity of the whole situation caught up to me and wind was knocked out of me. Hiding the tears that suddenly sprang into my eyes, I went about my daily ablutions and then went out with my Dad who had come to drop me. Thus began my journey of laughter, friendships, both eternal and ephemeral, and a bucketful of memories. IIT has given me my first gold medal (not in academics, nevertheless in PG Women Carroms), my first administrative position (Literary Secretary for Hostel 11), my first salary (a meagre stipend of Rs. 8000/month), my first job (in which I worked for more than 4 years, continuing my stint in Mumbai) and much more, for which I'm more than grateful. 

After graduating from IIT with flying colours, and a brief vacation at home (during my sister's marriage, so technically not much rest), I joined a technology company in Navi Mumbai (The distinction is quite clear and vivid, for someone who is from Mumbai or ever stayed in Mumbai, for everybody else, it is Mumbai). I stayed in a PG with other girls of a similar age group but from varying backgrounds, right from the North to the South of India. The things I have learnt from these people are numerous, a few becoming family and a few, headaches throughout. The diversity between all of them who were from various parts of the country - very distinct, but one thing was common between all of us - we were all missing home, family and home-cooked food. 

At the same time, I was, for the first-time, earning a full-time salary doing a full-time job at a corporate office. My first step into learning new things, both technical and personal, including new languages (Okay, one language only, Marathi, but various versions of it). Some experiences helped me grow as a person, both professionally and emotionally. Somewhere along the way, I learnt to balance my work and personal life, sometimes, both intermixing, as colleagues became friends.

The balance was essential. On one end, there were pressures of working life, deadlines, travel and work commitments. On the other, there were all kinds of household chores, laundry, cooking, washing utensils, cleaning, you know, all boring stuff. If I had any life left in me after all this, some recreational activities, reading, music, movies, travel, sightseeing, partying and dinners with friends. A perfect balance with all these activities results in a healthy, happy mind. If I close my eyes, the mind plays a beautiful and colourful reel of times with friends, family, cousins at so many places of natural beauty, that automatically manages to bring a smile onto my face. 

In all my journey in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, I have always managed to find amazing people and make amazing friends, from the first roommate to the last, from the first friend in the office to the latest. I'm grateful to all of those who have catered to my every whim and fancy and also those, who made me realise the value of true friendship, both by showing it as well as shunning it (Even those few, who by their words and deeds tried to bring me down but instead only made me stronger). I'm eternally indebted to my parents, who have believed in me and what I wanted to do, despite what the society has to say. I thank my Mom, Dad, Sis, Jiju and family for encouraging me and your precious advice every step of the way. I'm grateful for this journey I embarked upon, to become a confident, self-sufficient, financially independent woman, that has shaped me into who I am and what my future will be. 

Thanks to each and every one of you I met on the way in these last 6 years - from the first hello to the last time we said good bye (Oh, we'll meet again, I'm sure). Thanks to this city, that was indeed the city of dreams. If you are reading this, you were part of this journey, even if it was in the most minute possible way. Message me, if you remember any memories with me, I would love to relive those! 

With Lots of Love,

Sravya Rapaka :)