Monday, April 24, 2006

Another chapter.

Life's been crazy over the last few days. Although I absolutely love being at home, it feels strange. There are empty spaces which are no longer filled with crazy people and crazier conversations, all of which I took for granted. My friends have flown the nest and I will too. All of us create new chapters in our lives and I'm at the brink of yet another - Bangalore. In a funny sort of way, Bangalore has been my second home. I have spent many a summer there enjoying the company of family and friends. This time around, Bangalore will be different. It will be the city of malls that have mushroomed out of nowhere, it will be city of cultural chaos, it will be the city of traffic mayhem, it will be the city which holds the newest buzz, it will be the city where I get to go to office a few roads away from Rahul Dravid's house (very lame, I admit, but I'm silly like that :). Yes... I'm just a few days away from it all.

Just as charged as I am about moving to Bangalore, I want to bid adieu to Mumbai, in my own way. I have often said that given a choice, I would never live in Mumbai... people have often found my statements about the city quite scathing. Today, I would like to say that for all its flaws, Mumbai will hold a very special place in my heart. Here's just a few things that I will miss dearly:

1. O 558. The women - Booze, Meghu and Rain. I would do it all over again. Maybe sometime else, in another place. :)

2. ADMA - XIC. Everything from the classroom activities to making some wonderful friends to winning at Malhar and producing some kick ass advertisements... the stuff student life is supposed to be made of.

3. Shammy. The mom for whom we will never get past Class 2.

4. The boys... Lio, Clay, Viraj, Carlos, Mohit, Austin, Saket, Rakshit and so many others I'm sure I'm missing out on...

5. Mocha, Seven, even the imbeciles at Reliance Web World. :P

6. The train rides. Say no more.

My mind is a caught up in a swish of thoughts, but, this is what gushed out instantly...

Mumbai might never be home but it will be the city that changed me each day. All for the better.