Walk of Life
It was July 7th, 1980, on a unusually warm and sultry day, I left Bhopal for Mumbai. I say unusually, because normally it is wet and rainy in Bhopal that time of the year- monsoon in its full fury.I was all of 16 years and 10 months, baby face, no facial hair and little fuzz on my upper lip.
Somehow I knew I was leaving Bhopal for good, infact my mom stated later- "he did not even look back once when he left". I distictly remember holding a pillow in one hand and a shoulder bag ("Airbag" as it used be called those days) with everything that I need to start my college in IHMCTAN, Mumbai, walking as fast as I could to the bus stop, my dad a few paces ahead with another small bag with his change of clothes and necessities for the train and a short stay while he ensured I was settled comfortably in the new envirionment. Bus stop was about quarter of a mile from our humble BHEL quarters where I spent my childhood ( 629, N2 B Sector, Govindpura, Bhopal-462023-see picture). We walked past the N1 quarters, through TRT's (another classification of BHEL quarters) narrow lanes and there it was , the Bus stop from where I would take bus # 15A to Bhopal railway station ( fare 15 paise).
From there on I would board Dadar-Amritsar Express, second class ticket all the way to Dadar in the outskirts of Mumbai- mahanagari.My "chettan" (oldest cousin )was there with a big smile to greet me and take me to his PG dig ( paying guest accomodation for bachelors in Mumbai).I was seeing him after almost 10 years and I was happy because I knew that he would take good care of me :-), God bless him for that.
Although I would still remain the same naive, insecure, withdrawn country boy for years to come, as I walked that narrow path with filth on either sides, avoiding cows, buffaloes and mangy dogs in front of me, somehow I knew that would be a turning point in my life.My ears are still ringing with my little brothers and sister saying "Annna Ta-Ta" and my mother reminding me to say goodbye to "Ammini-Aunty".
In another 12 days, I will turn 44. Deep inside my heart, I am still the same old country boy who misses his mom and his little brothers and sister.
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