It rained today. All day. Heavy uninterrupted rains. Almost like the skies were weeping for Mumbai and her dead.

I almost didn’t feel like going into work. The blasts yesterday. The rains today. The overwhelming feeling was that of despondency.

Plus i wasn’t feeling too great – physically. Pounding headache that started yesterday morning was still going strong – felt like a zillion microscopic craftsmen trying to drill a hole in my head from the inside – using a blunt pencil.

But, to work I did go. A bit later than usual.

The roads were not empty. By no stretch of imagination. But, there was a eerie quiet about the roads. No one was honking. No one was trying to get ahead. And there were cops everywhere – managing traffic.

One almost expected A.K.Hangal to walk across the frame and ask “itna sanata kyon hai. koi horn kyon nahin bajata’.

 

Near my house – a little shop open. Most businesses were. Even those that didn’t need to be. When terror strikes – and i have been back in Mumbai since 1994 and have lived through quite a few – there is this really inexplicable sentiment that kicks in – I won’t let the Bastards cow me down. It is not just me – every one I knew was out and about. And not strangely, not many of us got too much work done. The turning up was the symbolic F*** U – both to the terrorists & the system

police directing traffic in the rains – and a cyclist for whom no traffic rules apply.

all it needs is for one break to fail, or one driver to put his/her foot on the accelerator by mistake …

Definitely less people than normal. But today wasn’t normal. Blasts & Rains …

Steady State – a cop look on as the traffic moves.

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Is there a spirit of Mumbai — yes. The nearest example I can give you is that of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind. This is the bit where she realises that the that there are people who depend on her, there is no food and she is exhausted. She goes into the garden to dig out the radishes with her bare hands. She looks at the skies and takes an oath

“As God as my witness. As God as my witness they’re not going to lick me. I’m going to live through this and when it’s all over I’ll never be hungry again nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill as God as my witness I’ll never be hungry again.”

This is why people from all over have come to this city – and this is why come rain or sunshine, come riot or bomb blast – they get back to work. They will not go hungry again. Nor will their families.

But, there is another aspect to it and this :

it is some unknown person stopping to help you . keeping you safe
it is aam Mumbaikars believing that random stranger despite all that goes wrong
it is that random act of kindness , compassion, and humanity that keeps us going

That is the resilient spirit of Mumbai is –  part survival and hope and another decency. if you don’t know it.. then don’t mock it

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Today I didn’t read – apart from various posts and columns on terror. and some spreadsheets on accounts dating back to last year. And a report regarding higher education in India …. no fun today. it seemed inappropriate .