One weekend, I thought I would leave for Mumbai. There was nothing much to do and it was long time since I met my friends in Mumbai. And Mumbai is just a night's journey from Goa. So I called my friend Nikhilesh and told him that I was going to come to Mumbai for a couple of days and stay at his place.
So, on a Saturday night, I got on my bus. It was sleeper coach (with beds you can lie on). It was all good until the bus started moving. The ride was so bumpy, I was in a different posture every time the driver hit the brakes or ran over a speed bump. I managed to sleep only in little bits. When I woke up, the bus had stopped at one of those remote restaurants. When I got out, I found that my wallet was missing. I came back to my bed. I couldn't find it. I asked the driver and he asked me to list the things I had in it first. After I described all the contents, he took my wallet out from a little box. He said somebody had found it lying near their bed. I was tossed around so much during the ride that my wallet flew off to some other person's seat! OK bed!
Soon, I was trying to sleep again. I woke up in the morning and saw outside. It was Panvel. I crossed the gate of the school where I used to study (my 11th and 12th Std) and I was eagerly waiting to arrive at Belapur and meet my friend.
I got down at the flyover at Belapur and started walking towards my friend's house. As I walked I saw how the place had changed so much with so many new shops and so much more crowd, but still remained the same with lots of greenery and wide roads. It was wet everywhere from the slight drizzle and the whole place had an old familiar feel to it.
Just then, I got a call from my friend saying another one of our people, Anup (from my 11th and 12th Std class) had arrived just today all the way from Jalandar (Punjab). He came to meet me outside and we walked to Nikhilesh's house. It was almost after 6 years that I met Anup, but I tell you, it felt like school got over just yesterday and we were meeting once again.
We reached Nikhilesh's house. There were a lot of people there. Nikhilesh's mom, dad and two of his cousins. Since I have been visiting Nikhilesh's place every now and then, I was a familiar face to Nikhilesh's mom and I always have an amiable chat with her despite my broken responses in Hindi. I briefly met Nikhilesh's father who was quite busy getting ready to leave for office. Nikhilesh then tells me that the plan is to go to this amusement park called Essel World and asks me to get ready fast.
In no time, Nikhilesh, Anup and I were on our way to Essel World. We took a bus to Borivali, got down, had a wada pav, got into an auto that took us to the jetty and got into the ferry that took us to the amusement park. From then on, we were on a frenzy. Although I was a little scared in the beginning, we didn't stop from flying around, hanging upside down, hanging upside down while flying around, looping the loop on a roller coaster, almost free falling without a parachute on a roller coaster, getting sprayed by a fountain while hanging upside down and ice skating on a fake ice lake! Yes, I know. Then we were all done, tired at last, we ate some pizzas, walked around and head out for the boat back.
Now we were in a bit of a hurry to head back because Nikhilesh had to go to one of his relatives' place. So we were thinking about what would be the fastest way back home. We asked some taxis and they were all too expensive. We then decided to take an auto. We got an auto for a decent price and we were on our way to Belapur. But after a while, the auto started coughing badly and we had to stop. After starting again, the auto continued to cough and the driver had to get down every now then to tighten some piece in the back of the auto. This went on, until we reached a somewhat familiar place and we decided to take a bus from there. We got a bus till Vashi. We got down at Vashi and found a car that gave us a lift. We parted ways with Anup at Jui Nagar station and then Nikhilesh and I got down at Nerul, which was the furthest the car took us towards Belapur. We then took the state transport bus and went all the way till Belapur. Phew! Home at last. And in good time. I was so tired, I dozed into sleep while trying to read a book.
The next day, I left from Nikhilesh's house to meet my cousin studying in a management college called NITI. I had to take a bus till Powai. After a long ride till Powai, I had a wada pav at a roadside thela and then took another bus to a slum area. I got lost in the slum area but I walked around for a bit and found my way to NITI campus. Now this place was quite excluded from the rest of Mumbai. The college campus was full of really huge trees, thick vegetation and some old buildings meant for academics.
It was beginning to become dark and was slighly drizzling. I met my cousin near the administrative building. He was leaving for a freshers' party, so he showed me to the guest room where I was about to stay and then the canteen. He told me how the campus is almost an extension of the Borivali National Park and leopards tend to enter every now and then. Wondering if I would spot any leopards, I walked to the building with my room on the sixth floor. Inside the room, I opened my window. It was darker now. I was in a forest looking at the city bustling with life. Just outside the window were towering trees almost making it impossible to see the ground and the small lake inside the campus. To my left, was a green forest that spread all the way till the little hills at the horizon. On my right, I could see the huge lake at Powai, lots of traffic on the roads, tall buildings all lit up and even the airport with an occasional plane landing.
The next day, I met my cousin again during lunch in the canteen. After a final word, I left NITI almost as if I had come for a 'night in the forest house' visit. Now I had to go back to Nikhilesh's house and take my bus back to Goa in the evening. I felt like walking a bit so I walked till the Powai lake and walked along the lake side and reached a bus stop. I took a bus to Vashi. As soon as I found a seat, I fell asleep and hardly realized how long the ride was. I got down at the bus stand in Vashi and walked to the local train station. The road was so familiar, I didn't even have to ask for directions. I stopped at the jumbo wada pav stall on the way and took a bite. I was looking at railway station and remembered the times I had came here with my parents, friends and even my special person. Feeling all nostalgic, I bought a ticket to Belapur and went straight for the platform. I always used to get nervous when the train arrived because these trains are usually very crowded and stop for only about 20 seconds. After getting inside the train safely, I was looking out at all the familiar places on the way to Belapur.
I was back at Nikhilesh's place again. I had to pack everything and leave for my bus. Nikhilesh's mom insisted that I have dinner before I leave for my bus and I couldn't say no! After quickly eating and saying goodbye to Nikhilesh's mom, dad and his two cousins (and Nikhilesh on the phone because he was in office), I left for my bus to Goa.
So, on a Saturday night, I got on my bus. It was sleeper coach (with beds you can lie on). It was all good until the bus started moving. The ride was so bumpy, I was in a different posture every time the driver hit the brakes or ran over a speed bump. I managed to sleep only in little bits. When I woke up, the bus had stopped at one of those remote restaurants. When I got out, I found that my wallet was missing. I came back to my bed. I couldn't find it. I asked the driver and he asked me to list the things I had in it first. After I described all the contents, he took my wallet out from a little box. He said somebody had found it lying near their bed. I was tossed around so much during the ride that my wallet flew off to some other person's seat! OK bed!
Soon, I was trying to sleep again. I woke up in the morning and saw outside. It was Panvel. I crossed the gate of the school where I used to study (my 11th and 12th Std) and I was eagerly waiting to arrive at Belapur and meet my friend.
I got down at the flyover at Belapur and started walking towards my friend's house. As I walked I saw how the place had changed so much with so many new shops and so much more crowd, but still remained the same with lots of greenery and wide roads. It was wet everywhere from the slight drizzle and the whole place had an old familiar feel to it.
Just then, I got a call from my friend saying another one of our people, Anup (from my 11th and 12th Std class) had arrived just today all the way from Jalandar (Punjab). He came to meet me outside and we walked to Nikhilesh's house. It was almost after 6 years that I met Anup, but I tell you, it felt like school got over just yesterday and we were meeting once again.
We reached Nikhilesh's house. There were a lot of people there. Nikhilesh's mom, dad and two of his cousins. Since I have been visiting Nikhilesh's place every now and then, I was a familiar face to Nikhilesh's mom and I always have an amiable chat with her despite my broken responses in Hindi. I briefly met Nikhilesh's father who was quite busy getting ready to leave for office. Nikhilesh then tells me that the plan is to go to this amusement park called Essel World and asks me to get ready fast.
In no time, Nikhilesh, Anup and I were on our way to Essel World. We took a bus to Borivali, got down, had a wada pav, got into an auto that took us to the jetty and got into the ferry that took us to the amusement park. From then on, we were on a frenzy. Although I was a little scared in the beginning, we didn't stop from flying around, hanging upside down, hanging upside down while flying around, looping the loop on a roller coaster, almost free falling without a parachute on a roller coaster, getting sprayed by a fountain while hanging upside down and ice skating on a fake ice lake! Yes, I know. Then we were all done, tired at last, we ate some pizzas, walked around and head out for the boat back.
Now we were in a bit of a hurry to head back because Nikhilesh had to go to one of his relatives' place. So we were thinking about what would be the fastest way back home. We asked some taxis and they were all too expensive. We then decided to take an auto. We got an auto for a decent price and we were on our way to Belapur. But after a while, the auto started coughing badly and we had to stop. After starting again, the auto continued to cough and the driver had to get down every now then to tighten some piece in the back of the auto. This went on, until we reached a somewhat familiar place and we decided to take a bus from there. We got a bus till Vashi. We got down at Vashi and found a car that gave us a lift. We parted ways with Anup at Jui Nagar station and then Nikhilesh and I got down at Nerul, which was the furthest the car took us towards Belapur. We then took the state transport bus and went all the way till Belapur. Phew! Home at last. And in good time. I was so tired, I dozed into sleep while trying to read a book.
The next day, I left from Nikhilesh's house to meet my cousin studying in a management college called NITI. I had to take a bus till Powai. After a long ride till Powai, I had a wada pav at a roadside thela and then took another bus to a slum area. I got lost in the slum area but I walked around for a bit and found my way to NITI campus. Now this place was quite excluded from the rest of Mumbai. The college campus was full of really huge trees, thick vegetation and some old buildings meant for academics.
It was beginning to become dark and was slighly drizzling. I met my cousin near the administrative building. He was leaving for a freshers' party, so he showed me to the guest room where I was about to stay and then the canteen. He told me how the campus is almost an extension of the Borivali National Park and leopards tend to enter every now and then. Wondering if I would spot any leopards, I walked to the building with my room on the sixth floor. Inside the room, I opened my window. It was darker now. I was in a forest looking at the city bustling with life. Just outside the window were towering trees almost making it impossible to see the ground and the small lake inside the campus. To my left, was a green forest that spread all the way till the little hills at the horizon. On my right, I could see the huge lake at Powai, lots of traffic on the roads, tall buildings all lit up and even the airport with an occasional plane landing.
The next day, I met my cousin again during lunch in the canteen. After a final word, I left NITI almost as if I had come for a 'night in the forest house' visit. Now I had to go back to Nikhilesh's house and take my bus back to Goa in the evening. I felt like walking a bit so I walked till the Powai lake and walked along the lake side and reached a bus stop. I took a bus to Vashi. As soon as I found a seat, I fell asleep and hardly realized how long the ride was. I got down at the bus stand in Vashi and walked to the local train station. The road was so familiar, I didn't even have to ask for directions. I stopped at the jumbo wada pav stall on the way and took a bite. I was looking at railway station and remembered the times I had came here with my parents, friends and even my special person. Feeling all nostalgic, I bought a ticket to Belapur and went straight for the platform. I always used to get nervous when the train arrived because these trains are usually very crowded and stop for only about 20 seconds. After getting inside the train safely, I was looking out at all the familiar places on the way to Belapur.
I was back at Nikhilesh's place again. I had to pack everything and leave for my bus. Nikhilesh's mom insisted that I have dinner before I leave for my bus and I couldn't say no! After quickly eating and saying goodbye to Nikhilesh's mom, dad and his two cousins (and Nikhilesh on the phone because he was in office), I left for my bus to Goa.
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