Midnight crave this Mumbai
It was midnight when Ramesh sent off his friend and promised him that he is going to board a train for Pune from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal. He waved his hand towards his friend while the cab was taking him away. Very soon, Ramesh stood by himself in the middle of the vast square opposite the CST terminal with the Gothic architecture. Its a UNESCO world heritage site. The structure is grand. Ramesh was not yet tired of the long day. He has plans. He knew that the next day he had to go back to office at Pune and yet, he is here, at Mumbai. He has two carry bags hanging by him on his shoulders, forward & backwards. He took out his mobile phone and once more logged into the IRCTC website to book a train ticket, which he has delayed to the brim uptil now. He is not sure of going back to Pune. He wants to encounter this city.
It's already Friday. This one day is an extra road to a two days long weekend. He came here for a training. He could simply apply for the leave and decide to stay back. But there is awaiting work back at the office. He could not avoid it. On the other hand, he misses sitting by the sea. He wanted to go to the Marine drive and satisfy his deep crave of watching the sea. Putting back his phone in his pocket, he decided to walk towards the Sea. It was almost 1.5 kilometer from where he stood. He could do that. He could walk more than that. The last train was at 12:30 AM & he is going to miss it. In his mind, he is undecided. He could still make to the office if he boards an early morning train from the Lokmanya Tilak Terminal, or a Shiv Shahi bus from the Dadar station. Confident, he paused on his way and asked for direction from a bystander. There is a taste in asking directions from the public directly. He gets to interact with them, which otherwise is a way of connecting with them also.
There was no air. It was humid. The lanes are large and profoundly surrounded by grandeur architecture. Almost everything is shut. Although Mumbai is way more of a night city than Pune. There is some construction going on at a distance and there are few workers wearing yellow helmets and safety jackets, chattering along themselves. There are people sleeping by the road, under a temporary shed. Some have put on mosquito nets.
Ramesh does not feel tired. He is a working professional. He has to go to office on the weekdays. He has to live off his life in a particular city. With an anxious urge, he sees himself wasted by the time. He thinks about freedom. He thinks about the real freedom. He shakes off his hands and legs, onlooking some invisible chains clasping them. It strangulates him. It's a harsh reality that his survival through a permanent livelihood is like a permanent jail term. He had to study a lot to fall into this trap. Everything seems a lie. He couldn't think clearly. He is bound by something. He has to stick to some timing and cater to some procedure. He is afraid of taking risks. He is afraid of leaving his job. He is just procrastinating on himself. This makes him frustrated. Thus comes the sea. Sea absorbs his negativity. It has motherly love. It listens to him. It's been a while. He needs the therapy now.
There are people by the sea. Husband-wife, young couples, friendly groups, joggers, children, families and few loners like him are sitting and walking by the sea. At the shore, big tetrahedral rocks are indented to cool off the impact of the rising sea waves hitting the edge. Global warming has led to the rise in the sea level. The sea is becoming warmer and aggressive day-by-day. Humanity living by the edge needs protection. That's why hefty walls are raised. In 2004, a tsunami hit the Indian coast and killing thousands of people. Now there is a tsunami warning system in place. However, how could one discharge such a large city in minutes, if something happens in the future? Countries like Japan which are highly prone to earthquakes have been developing modern ways of tackling such situations. In time and with investment, developing countries like India will also be installing such systems. Life on Earth is uncertain. Monsoon is now been seen with a third eye. We are seeing frequent flood. This invited poverty.
Ramesh has kept his two bags on two sides and sat by the edge. He could listen to the sea, but it is mostly silent. He also feels tired. He wants a small nap as well but he could not sleep here. There are policemen who won't allow. It was an okay experience. He feels unexcited. He could not see much of the sea because of the dark. There are street vendors selling stuffs like hot tea, jiggling lights, massage services etc. to the general public. Still, a sea is by his side. This much amount of saline water is brimming before him. It is comforting. Soon he was hearing whistles by the police. Post midnight, there are orders that the place is to be emptied. They are telling people to go back. They don't want any crowd by the sea at night. It was bizarre. It was surprising. Another coat of chain has suddenly clasped Ramesh's hands. For awhile that he is feeling independent, no more. He had to move away. He could not pass his night by the Sea. There are restrictions in place. We are restricted. Where should he go now? It's not cheap to wander like a free vagabond. Everything has a price.
Ramesh started to walk again, away from the sea. He kept on walking, searching for a piece of lodge, or a place by the street side to lay down for a while. He is conscious of his luggage. He is having few clothes, a laptop, a mobile phone & some cash with him. He could just slip-in anywhere if it is clean and seemingly safe, thinking that 'who would hire a lodge for few hours to sleep?'. He kept on walking, until he reached the Marine Lines station. There he boarded a train without ticket and decided to head towards the Dadar Station. It was an instinct decision. He is wandering off guard. The platform was nearly empty, but clean. He enquired a guy closing his shop if he could spend the night in the station. The guy said that it is not allowed. No wonder why people are not sleeping in the platform. The train arrived and he slipped on to it. Comparing with the day's time, when it's hard to get a seat, the train was running empty. Local train is the veins of the city. It sustains the city. People adore it. Ramesh is heading towards the Dadar station. A gush of cold wind is entering through the open doors and windows. The train is passing by a sleepy city. The tall apartments at the side is silent, sleepy and slow... Mumbai is sleeping. Ramesh could go back to Pune if there would be any means. When plan fails, he feels helpless. Deep down, he doesn't want to spend much in such adventures.
Passing through few stations, Dadar had arrived. This place is unique in itself. Its ecology is unique. It showcases an altogether different struggle. This place never remains empty. Humans keep working here for their dimes. Coming out of the station, Ramesh saw that people were closing down. Some have already slept. They have literally settled down by the over-bridge. It is their home. They have nailed their gods by its walls. They keep their luggage at the side. They live here homely, yet homeless. Seeing all this, Ramesh knew that he would certainly find a place among them and that he could sleep for few hours. He kept walking and passing by the people, onlooking them, feeling dizzy, and strange.
Ramesh stopped by a taxi driver and asked him if there is a dormitory nearby to sleep at night. He asked if he could sleep here by the street, and if it would be safe to do it? To his surprise, he was asked not to! He was asked that his luggage would be stolen and by the morning he would be left with nothing. Ramesh have heard of such stories. He has seen several fictional movies depicting people in this business. However, Ramesh has a different gut feeling. He was in sync with the place. He was not feeling unsafe. He was not feeling untoward. He wanted to spend the night by the street. He doesn't care about his clothes. So many fellow humans are already there. He is just one of them. He is no different. He moved forward and even found a hotel. He went there to enquire about the rates. At the counter, a person was sleeping at the floor. He woke up at his call. He said a price Ramesh was not intending to pay. Ramesh asked for a room for 3-4 hours only. The rates were the same. He rushed out of the place. The hotels could not afford to be complacent with the general public, else he would be getting a sea of such requests. A cat could not befriend a rat. It is against nature. However, in contrast, the human nature calls for humanity. A bizarre night indeed.
Ramesh finally decided to tear-off his fears and he put his luggage by the staircase of a closed shop. People are already sleeping there. On the opposite side of the road as well, many could be seen fast asleep. It seemed all easy and okay. He felt that he could lie down there clasping tight to his luggage towards his chest. He did so. After almost a 20-hours gap, he has stretched his body long over a horizontal platform. His shoulders were paining with the load. His eyes could instantly shut closed. Lay he there opened eyes, staring at the tall buildings and comparing the deep contrast. There are people who are safely stuffed in their houses and yet there are some who could not find such place. He remembers the last night when he was sleeping in an air-conditioned hotel, over a soft cushion. These homeless people are running and toiling hard everyday. There are many manual laborers. They help in running the city. They provide cheaper services. They made the city affordable.
First, he could not sleep, and when he did so, he woke up in not more than twenty minutes. There were mosquitoes which has bitten his arms. They were singing in his ears too. His feet has been bitten. Also there were people who kept passing by the streets and making noises. Ramesh is accustomed to silence at night. This was an untoward moment that he was experiencing. He was also conscious about his luggage. Besides him, others were fast asleep. They were not bothered by anything. Some of them were covering themselves with a sheet. They were so ingrained in there sleep that they were not even moving or changing their sides. Their body was smeared with dust. Some of them were hugging the staircase, lifting their legs over it. Ramesh realized that it was not that easy for him to sleep here. But he will anyway try.
Ramesh took out socks from his bag and wore it on the feet. He then took out a shirt and covered his face & hands with it. He is challenging the contrast and trying to mix with the reality on the ground. He knew that without experiencing it, he won't be able to know about it. It was 3'O clock when he actually slid into dreams. Not too early, but Dadar had finally embraced him.
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