The upbeat cocky girl who had happily said 'good riddance' to this city with dreams in her eyes came back a tad broken in spirit...with the added burden of cobbling together a new life amongst strangers at a totally new workplace...
But Mumbai welcomed me back without reproaches...This time I sensed the warmth than the steely coldness of an uncaring metro where life runs as per the timetable of local trains...
Four years and roughly over three months to that (somehow seems longer than that) this time when I leave the city I have no bones to pick, just a lot of memories to sew up into a neat packet.. While sorting through what's now junk, once much loved -much coveted..
A story here, a gossip there, love given and received, muffled laughter to ensure neighbours dont knock at unearthly hours.. And now Im gearing up to leave all this behind. I wonder if im being thankless...
I had arrived with two suitcases of clothes and little else...And then I'd dug my heels..Wilfully putting down roots all the while telling anyone who bothered to listen that living in this city was a professional compulsion and life here a professional hazard.I don't think that any more. This time even nostalgia is humble.
Every trinket, every scrap gathering dust and every sheet smelling of stuffy suitcases and mothballs that left their smell behind - everything has a 'remember that time when you' tale to tell. My books are packed in plastic and assembled in cartons..All my little knick knacks bubble wrapped...
Two rolls of packing tape crisscross across four years...years that I took to stand up, steady myself and turn my head skywards...Till I finally mustered the courage to cut the strings that bound me to this restless city... Now my strings are in my hand, but I dont feel weightless...I leave a bit of me back with the 'junk' I'm discarding here... I will come back for it...
Wonder how I missed this one! Beautiful... can relate to some of it. Happens with me too, with some places I just always leave a piece of me behind. :) Write more often, Deeps...
ReplyDeleteThanks Sree. These days I blog on travelling largely. :) check it out in www.bucketlisttales.wordpress.com :) look forward to seeing you there :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Sree. These days I blog on travelling largely. :) check it out in www.bucketlisttales.wordpress.com :) look forward to seeing you there :)
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