It’s 7 am. The air feels cool. Mumbai’s pride; Marine
Drive, is awake and alive. The broad promenade stretches along the Arabian Sea.
In the evening, the shining lampposts form a necklace, the Queen’s Necklace as
they call it. Beautifully rounded,
accompanied by the waves that steadily hit the rocks. But it’s early morning
now, the sun is about to rise and break through the morning mist. A faint
breeze strokes my chin as I listen to the ever present Mumbai crows.
To the north, the skyline stretches towards the sky, mostly
made by the high-risebuildings offancy Malabar Hills. They seem quite a
distance away behind a haze of mist, or smog as it might well be. I turn around
and my gaze falls on the Air India building, who has become my landmark. Tall
hotels together with ordinary corporate buildings form the Northern skyline. People
come to work here, but right now, people come to walk.
They walk alone, or in pairs. In long strides, and
short strides. The men, retired perhaps – in their white, big jogging shoes. Loose
trousers, shirts with rolled up sleeves. Some stroll along leisurely, some walk
briskly. They walk the talk. Old colleagues, neighbours, brothers, friends.
Twos and threes, sometimes in fours.
Then there is the retired couples; the women in their
salwar kameez and a woollen cardigan on top of it. It’s still cool for a
Mumbaikar. The wide trousers flutter around old legs above big shoes. Good
shoes. They don’t talk, there is no need. They walk. Before the sun emerges and
makes walking unbearable. Some wear track suits, swinging their arms energetically
from side to side.
An old woman walks towards me, she is wearing a burka.
She sits down next to me, breathes heavily. She seems distressed, restless.
After a while she heaves her heavy body and leaves, perhaps she needed a rest.
A suffering body or a suffering mind.
A young man is chasing a football, all by himself. The
ball goes this way and that, always captured by the man who puts it back on
track. He’s moving along with the ball, in between people. Nobody interferes. I
follow him with my gaze, soon the restless figure is lost among the people.
The stream of people thickens. The sun is about to
break. Four women are sitting side by side, chanting. Om, they chant. Ooomm... They are unmoved by the stream of people, by
the looks of any odd tourist. Closed eyes & deep in concentration.
The concrete wall along the promenade doubles as a
bench. People also walk on top of it, or they sit down cross legged with their faces
turned towards the sea. Contemplating; about the day that lies ahead or even
life itself…
Even at this hour, some young couples sit close together, captured in secrecy perhaps, a more than common sight in the evening. Some do yoga, stretching their bodies towards the soft sky. Some is lost to the world in deep meditation. Or, we simply let our gaze wander. Up and down the promenade. Thinking how lucky this overcrowded, polluted, dirty megalopolis is to have such freedom and space for everybody to share.
Even at this hour, some young couples sit close together, captured in secrecy perhaps, a more than common sight in the evening. Some do yoga, stretching their bodies towards the soft sky. Some is lost to the world in deep meditation. Or, we simply let our gaze wander. Up and down the promenade. Thinking how lucky this overcrowded, polluted, dirty megalopolis is to have such freedom and space for everybody to share.
The joggers emerge among the walkers. Long trousers,
short trousers. A woman in a sari even. Chubby young girls adamant on losing a
few kilos, their feet heavily touching ground. Sweaty foreheads come alone, but
also in pairs. Mutual struggle. Mutual pain. Being two is always a small
comfort. Athletic men in shorts glide along, fancy sun glasses, even more fancy
shoes. Expats trying to keep fit, trying to beat the forever-glaring sun,
trying to keep up a lifestyle from colder countries. Foreign business men from
nearby hotels follow suit.
But people mostly walk. Arms swinging from side to
side. Stretching limbs as they walk. Serious looks on their faces. Trying to
fight old age. Middle aged women in western clothes and big sunglasses walking
fast and furious. Fighting yesterday’s many-a-tantalizing laddoo. Young girls
in threes and fours. Serious sometimes if not giggling, discussing that very
special boy in school. Avoiding the many stray dogs that scuttle about. And
there he is; the little boy with the monkey in a chain. Frowned upon by the regulars,
but always attracting interest from tourists before they realise he’s not there
to entertain, but to earn a living.
I’m leaving, still not at risk while crossing the
street. Walking towards the Air India building, and then straight ahead on
uneven sidewalks towards Colaba. The odd stalls are coming to life along the
way, people are queueing for their buses, the Oval Maidan is quiet, but the
traffic is picking up as I reach the other side of the city where the sun has
hit the Indian Sea with full force.
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Meet the Author:
Courtesy - Mr. Kjetil Alsvik. |
Read more about India travels and Indian literature on www.benjamuna.com or email: anne-tb@online.no
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