Merci

For all we know the rickshaw drivers aren't the most accepting lot we have in Mumbai. They have their own rules and will easily own a record of rejecting more people and crushing hopes, than that popular girl/guy in your college would have. Stereotyping compels me to tarnish an entire community but obviously not all of them are the same. Yet, we rant away in our glory and when the next rickshawallah tells us, "Nahi, Andheri nahi jayega"[ Will not go to Andheri ] , we mutter under our breath,"America jayega kya?"[ Oh, so will you go to America? ] However, very recently I had a pleasant encounter with a nice rickshaw driver that completely reset my mood for that day. It was just another day for me when I went down to the auto stand to take a ride to work. As usual the first two rick drivers refused to go. The third one said yes (to my relief) and welcomed me with a smile. He was an old man, cleaning his rickshaw and I was probably amongst his first few custom...

I'm back with a blog post after a short hiatus. Work kept me occupied or maybe it did not. But this place has been barren for a long time now. We have been waiting for the rains for quite sometime in Mumbai. The summer which was welcomed with open arms soon became a menace due to the scorching heat and high humidity leading the government to take alarming steps towards curbing usage of water, adding to our "sticky" woes. Rains usually arrive in Mumbai by June 1. This time the calendar turned to 18th June and yet there was no rainfall in sight. Until the 19th Of course. When the clouds gathered above and the skies poured down. The hills turned green and everything cooled down. I did get wet in the first rains It's customary,isn't it? It's beautiful. It's enriching and delightful. Water pouring down your window sill. The smell of the earth in the first rains. Everything washes down- the roads, the trees, the birds. It's almost purifying. A cup of ho...