Mumbai -II (Marine Drive)

First thing I said to Mihir, once inside his car, was “I am hungry. I have had nothing since breakfast.” “Yup”,he said, “Same here. But let’s see Mumbai first. We cannot miss the sunset at Marine Drive.”So the next destination was Marine drive. A journey of an hour was awaiting us. Mihir and I were meeting after 6 months and there was so much to catch up! We kept talking! On our way Mihir kept me acquainted with the road and the important landmarks and distinct places. I was making a map of Mumbai in my head! But in my case the brain stops working as soon as I enter geography into it. It just refrains from registering the data. So later I gave up and stopped badgering it. Out of the many places that he showed me I distinctly remember a few.

One is Mukesh Ambani’s 27 storeyed building! It is grand but seemed asymmetrical to me. I mean, when I had read about it I had imagined a well designed stunning structure which would awe me. But leave aside the awe factor, it didn’t even catch my attention until Mihir told me. Probably, once it is complete it might ‘awe’ me for the simple reason that it is hard to understand how it balances so well on the ground with so much irregularity! I guess a better architect would do Mukesh ji!!! Paradoxically, another famous but modest home that we saw on our way was Lata Mangeshkar’s house. Like the Ambani house, even this one does not catch attention but when Mihir told me about it I was awed! Not because it is magnificent or oversized. Rather it is very simple. No servant quarters, no floors and floors of parking area, no swimming pool! Just a nice place to call ‘home’.

We saw many more places which I cannot account for here because what I want to write about is the most important. Marine Drive. What a view! A long 6 lane boulevard on one side of which, is the Arabian Sea and on the other are Trident, Oberoi and the likes!  I had only once before in my life seen something as beautiful- Necklace Road in Hyderabad. The major difference is that its not the sea there!!! The sun was still up when we reached Marine Drive. So the promenade wasn’t lit up yet. Mihir parked his car and we started walking on the wide esplanade where you can see loads of people. They are either jogging (evening jogs!) or relaxing after a long day (the sight itself makes you calm!) or they are couples (Well, I need not mention!). I was trying to absorb every moment of this novel experience. The best was yet to come!

We reached the reclamation. The sun was straight in front of me. Its rays penetrating the thin cloud cover and reaching high up above me. Breeze gently brushed against my face, making me forget all the exhaustion and hunger. And right under it was water. Endless and deep! The sun’s reflection in it seemed to shiver in the wind signifying its soon coming departure. We sat there on the rocks for some time admiring nature’s miracle. Such a wonderful experience in a place like Mumbai! It didn’t seem real. It couldn’t have been Mumbai! The sun was turning red now. It’s the last glow that it flaunts before setting. “Let’s go before it sets completely. I don’t like to see the complete sunset.” ,Mihir said. So we took a last look at the place and walked back to the car.

Rest of the day was great. We had lassi at Marine Drive and then ate a lot. Then on our way back when we were somewhere in Malabar hills (don’t mind the vagueness of the location) we got a full view of the place we had just visited. And it was completely lit up now! It is truly a Queen’s necklace! That image is inerasable from my mind. Words cannot describe its beauty. It needs to be experienced to be appreciated. So Marine drive had made my day. And I should thank Mihir because he showed it to me at the correct time for it cannot be enjoyed during the day. I was now looking forward to Mood Indigo...