On My Way to Work: Mumbai

All photos by Neha Puntambekar

On my approach to work we take the bus, the sight as well as the taxi. On my approach behind we take the bus, the sight as well as the rickshaw. we get the lot of celebration of the mass done in between.

The dilemma chaiwala pours milky tea into the glass. The glass is filled usually median the portion is called cutting. Behind the transport the younger boy, he doesnt look more than 11, is rinsing out used glasses. Next to them is the tobacco stall. Two yuppies, ready to go in grave clothes, ties folded in their front pockets, mount with freshly lit cigarettes. Since singular cigarettes have been accessible for the rupee, or less, depending upon the brand, dilemma smokers have been the common sight. we walk past them as well as cranky the highway to the sight stop.

The Bus

Tikeett? The transmitter half barks. The steel box land ticket coupons is strapped opposite his brown uniform. He clicks the ticket puncher with his right palm ticktickticktick as well as waits for me to handover my Rs.5 sight fare to the railway station. He barely jolts as the sight moves.

We expostulate past residential colonies; pockets of organized, multi-storied suburban dreams. We expostulate past the large slum; residents as well as small-scale businesses (vada stalls, the make-shift fish market, rickshaw service shops) brief upon to the road, nudging trucks, buses, cars as well as bikes into the jam. We expostulate past newly planned residential colonies built over demolished slums; building the whole goes upon all day as well as all night.

The Train

The 7:50 slow has usually pulled in. Most people burst in prior to the sight stops. we never leaned how to do that, as well as as the result we usually manage to find the dilemma seat.

This is the Ladies First Class. It has softer seats. we recognize most of my! associa te travellers. They have been regulars mostly bankers as well as students as well as Ive pieced together their stories from overheard conversations. They have been sight friends. A class has shaped during the daily commute. They discuss marital problems, trade dirty jokes as well as have potluck breakfast parties. When they move Prasad, food offerings made to the Gods after special prayers as well as during the gratifying season, they share with the rest of the cell too.

Because its morning pour out hour, there have been no vendors peddling knick knacks or fruit. They will come later, with their big baskets, as well as stay upon compartment the final train. From the griddle window separator we can see into the General First Class compartment. Some group gawk at the women. Others fiddle with cell phones.

With any stop, the windows get the little more sealed off. Sometimes its so swarming its hard to read. Sometimes its so swarming we give up my chair as well as go mount by the doorway where we can breathe. Sometimes its so swarming the sight moves prior to we can get off.

The Taxi

The taxi reserve under the Dadar Flyover is the usually element of sequence upon the highway crammed with bureau goers as well as vendors selling fruits, gajras (flowers strung together as well as fixed by women in their hair) as well as alternative knick knacks. When the municipal car comes they make use of the array of coded calls to container as well as empty out in minutes; it was during one such raid/run that we satisfied the travel was essentially wide enough.

A man joins the line behind me. Share Taxi, na? he asks. A shared taxi runs in between the preset track as well as carries 4 passengers, any will compensate Rs.10 for the float irrespective of where they get off along the route. Its more gentle than the sight as well as its cheaper than taking the taxi alone.

Im pit y the taxi with the pin-stripe pantsuit, an orange salwar-kameez as well as the immature tee-shirt. The taxi is aged as well as its insides feel tired. The window is stained as well as usually opens midway. When we stop at the traffic light the child approaches me with the stack of pirated books. His garments have been sick fitting. His grin is wide; he has seen the open book upon my lap.

Didi, best books for half price. Didi! he yells as the light changes.

We cranky dual worlds at the distance of dual traffic lights. On one end have been the community housing projects, open schools as well as gaudy store fronts. At the alternative have been MNCs, showrooms as well as malls; Mumbais weave mills once stood here. Ive heard the stories from my Dad of the great years, of the strike as well as how most mills close down in the years after. we catch the emotion prior to he shrugs as well as says, anyway

At the end of the street, the taxi comes to the loud hindrance dual mins divided from my office. we gather my bag, my coupler as well as paperback, compensate the cabbie as well as get off. Today we have the brochure to finish as well as blogs to read. we punch in my pass card as well as head behind out for tea.