Mumbai is a cannibal of a city, slowly devouring the suburbs
around it. I live at the humble township of Kamothe across Thane
creek. But every now and then, the ocean calls me. It was a Saturday night
with college friends in a lounge at Powai. As old friends meet and one thing
leads to another, we soon found ourselves staring at the strong waves rushing
to our feet at Bandra’s famous bandstand. The wind howled calling us to run
with it and the slippery rocks were the sole mark of safety the rocky beach
could provide. In many ways, this one place represented everything this city of
dreams stood for. The vast unending ocean, I knew at the back of my mind that
the ocean really did have an end. And that it was a small planet my specie had
inherited the habitation of. Yet eyes deceived the knowledge when the ocean
turned beyond the horizon and left for faraway shores, or perhaps a journey
without a destination. Despite its vastness, the ocean was humble enough to
continue rushing towards me and washing my feet with all its might. Sometimes I
felt that I’d come too far and the waves would sweep me along. It was easy to
forget myself in those waves, and become a part of them. A part of my heart did
ask me to take bold steps forward. But I knew that it wasn’t my destiny to
become a part of the waves. I came with a dream to rule the waves. The least
I’d do was take back lessons from them. Yes there were those who made the waves
parts of their lives. But I had to go back. I am a boy of the shore, at least
till the waves do not make me one of their own.
That’s all it took. A few bold steps, a bit of courage, some
thought, and some talent; the waves would come forth to kiss my feet. But I had
to be careful. I was the only one who could decide what I wanted. Whether I
wanted the waves to kiss my feet, my lips, or my soul. The deceitful waves were
ever-eager to make use of one mistake of mine, and they’d claim me. That’s all
it took, one
mistake, one folly, one moment of disregard and the ocean would consume
you. To stand your own among the waves needed unflinching determination and
discipline. Yet it was so tempting and easy to just let go and join the
vastness.
I did not come back without any bruises. There was one, received
very quickly. Too eager and young I was to go towards the waves and immediately
they gifted me with a wound that pains till date. It serves a reminder to what
eagerness may do. In a crowd of millions, there would be more eager to come
forward than those who would take the time to appreciate the careful steps it
took to come forth. My first folly was my last. The scars would serve as a
constant memory of the innocence I had, and how the ocean showed me its worth.
I realized that the farther I went, the stronger my waves
would become till the point I had no option but to let my friends catch up.
Holding each other, we’d be able to cross the creeks. For that we had to let go
of everything else in our grasp and just hold on to each other. Some said it
was absurd to attempt. Some wouldn’t let go of their dear possessions. Only a
few who understood that only holding one-another would we be able to cross did
choose themselves for the task. Thankfully, the people with me were the exact
kind. Together we stood as far as the shores and our feet would allow us
without the dangers of drowning. Each one of us held everyone else and everyone
ensured that we’d hold our own.
I looked at their faces. Most of us had come from smaller towns,
such as ones which Mumbai wouldn’t even consider to cannibalize. Our oceans
didn’t pour like Mumbai’s do. They gave barren sunshine and scarce rain. No
creeks or rivers to mark our lands and no vast oceans to kiss our feet. Perhaps
that was what brought us here, together. To realize the big dreams we’d seen together.
Together, we shouted in euphoria! We screamed at the sky to let us taste the
clouds and let us etch our names across the stars with our sweat. We asked the
moonlight to show us the paths to our glory. We looked up at the stars,
wondering if we’d live our lives differently if we saw them every night. Why
didn’t we? Maybe because the ceiling came in the way every night. The ceiling
which we’d worked for the past week. But was it worth it?
