My life in Bombay

A few years ago, after finishing my studies, I started my career in my hometown, Calcutta. However, the situation was not in my favor, and I was not getting any good opportunity. My sister, who is very dynamic and aggressive, left our hometown, and went to Bombay to build her career. After struggling for few years she established herself there. Although, my father wanted me to follow her path, I didn’t have a little bit of desire to leave my hometown and go to Bombay. As I couldn't give any shape to my career, and my father’s constant persuasion, I half-heartedly decided to go to Bombay. At last, in 2004 I left for Bombay, when I got a job offer from a Bombay based company. Though my sister was there, still I couldn’t make myself feel familiar there. First one month was a nightmare to me. Every day I used to feel like to escape from there. However, eventually I started getting accustomed there. When I left my first job in Bombay and took the second one I found a new life there. I found so many friends, majority among them were from outside the city. Gradually I fell in love with Bombay. If anyone asks me why I liked Bombay so much, I can’t give any concrete answer.

There are so many things in Bombay which can make the city unattractive. Asia’s third largest slum is in Bombay. The city is over- crowded. Due to space crunch the apartments’ price is sky-high even though they are tiny. People are struggling day and night to survive there.  Any person from any western countries can’t even imagine how too many people of a family can live in a small apartment. Living in Bombay city, it is unimaginable for middle class people, so they are compelled to buy apartments far from the heart of the city. People travel for more than three hours to reach their work places. The city is full of dirt. The pollution rate is alarming. Although the railway system is the heart of Bombay’s transport system, but, always the over-crowded trains and the hubbub can make any outsider to perspire.

 Yet some charms are there, that’s why people get attracted. The astonishing fact is that people are always happy. They always smile. With too many problems in life, how people can smile, nobody can understand. It is an excellent example of synchronization between people, who come from different regions with diverse background. It makes everybody feels familiar. The city never sleeps. In the middle of the night, if I want to travel I can get any public conveyance. Any person can get some work to survive there. The technologically and industrially advanced city gives opportunities to people, like me, who want to build their career.

The city gave me chance to enjoy the life. It taught me how to survive from unfavorable situation, how to accustom myself with every kind of condition, how to lead a fast life. Keeping pace with the city is really challenging. Still, I never felt unhappy. Struggling became a part of my life. However, there were so many things to enjoy, so many things to feel happy. Travelling is major part of the city life. Sometimes I felt that travelling in a train like a sandwich was somewhat fun. I used to travel for 2 hours every day to reach my office and I needed same amount of time for returning home. It was really adventurous to avail the trains; everybody needs to jostles with each other’s to do that. The trains use to stop for 45 seconds in each station, and within this little time thousands of people get on an off. The city gave me life, gave me new hope to search for a better tomorrow. I witnessed many major incidents during my stay. I witnessed the disastrous cloudburst in 2005, when thousands of people lost their lives, which made the city standstill for a day. It was also amazing that, within 15 days life became normal. I was there when five bomb blasted in trains which left thousands of dead again, but the city became normal on the next day.

I didn't know from when I started to love the city. I wanted to live there throughout my life. That’s why when I left Bombay, I felt unhappy than when left my hometown for better tomorrow.