Bombay
“There are moments in life when the world moves so slowly that you think, no matter what happens to you for the rest of your life, you will remember every last detail of that moment forever. Maybe it is these small silent moments which are the true story-making events of our lives” - Unknown
How does one even begin to write about Bombay? Usually, the words flow freely when I speak of my travels. But with Bombay, it is more of a feeling. This city isn’t pretty- it doesn’t have polished high-rises, large boulevards or perfect gardens like Paris and New York. It certainly isn't calm, either. Arriving in Bombay and becoming engulfed in the traffic and crowds is reminiscent of drowning in a sea of noise, honking horns, heat and sticky humidity. But there is something about this city that will suck you in and leave you in a dizzying daydream of what this city is, and what it could become. That feeling of wanting to know a city, almost personally, like it was a stranger you passed on the street and were immediately fascinated by. As you slowly peel back each intricate layer of this urban metropolis, you realize there is more to Bombay than meets the eye.
The difference is that Bombay is not a place where I can list what I saw, it’s somewhere I can recount what I experienced. It’s the people I met, the long days and even longer nights, the energy of this city that never sleeps, and the disparity that seems to separate the city, yet somehow tie it together at the same time. I have never had so many chance encounters, appreciated the sunset and become truly lost in my thoughts as I have during my trips here. I came to Bombay with a laundry list of touristy things I wanted to see and do (that may or may not have been influenced by my watching of Slumdog Millionaire a dozen times), but I think it was the small, silent moments that I appreciated so much more.
There is something to be said for a city that welcomes you with the worst illness you’ve ever experienced, but leaves you longing to come back. That stranger that I felt overwhelmed, but fascinated by, has now become a more familiar face. But I know that even my multiple trips have allowed me to barely scratch the surface of this intricate city and there is so much more to discover. Until next time, Bombay.