“Gentlemen, I think it is about time we ‘pulled our fingers out’…If we want to be more prosperous we’ve simply got to get down to it and work for it. The rest of the world does not owe us a living.” ----- Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921)
They called it always the land of dreams. When I was about to land on this dreamers land, I thought it was all but a fallacy. Until the flight landed completely, I could barely see anything as the messengers from the heaven’s screensaver had blocked my view. Thereafter finishing the luggage identification process, when we (me and my mother) stepped out of the airport, one part of my vision found my uncle and another part was glued at the beautiful gifts of God. Though they were not at the perfect magical numbers of 36-24-36 but as heard earlier of Aamchi Mumbai, they were damn hot. I had to temporarily obstruct my wildest imaginations as the taxi had arrived to take us to Dombivili where my uncle resided. Thus, for the time my imagination switched to the mouth watery items which my aunt would have cooked for us. On our way to Dombivili, we passed through the Powai, where my uncle reminded me of a recent headline of a reporter being murdered in the hours of daylight. For the first time, the place made me imagine that how a beautiful place like that was made dirty by such heinous act. Then, we passed through IIT- Bombay. It seemed that all old scary bollywood movies would have been picturised in those buildings.
Finally, we reached Dombivili at my uncle’s flat. As imagined we had a great taste bud savvy lunch. On my stay at their place, we visited many places. One day we went to Dadar via local train. That was my first journey in the locals. Frankly speaking, at first I didn’t like it at all, but later on, on further travel by locals I loved them. It was because of the wonderful people of Mumbai. At Dadar, we went to the Sidhivinayak temple, where Lord Ganesha is worshipped. We then had some evening snacks and then walked pass the Kabutar-khana area, where they said thousands of pigeon gather in the morning to feed them. It was a pretty crowded area and people around were too busy with their work. We then returned back to Dombivili.
Later we traveled around many other stunning places of Mumbai like the Shanghrilla Water Park, Navi Mumbai, CST, Gateway of India, Taj hotel area, Marine Drive, Opera house area, Girigaon Chow patty and many others. Mumbai seemed really to be the land of dreams for me. A place like Marine Drive during the evening will make you forget all the hardships of the entire day. I never wanted to return from Mumbai but I had to because of a phony tongue given by my college to me.
Anyways everything was fine in Bhubaneswar. As days passed, my memories of the dream city had begun to fade away. But on an evening of 13/7/2011 when I switched on CNN-IBN, the headlines moved me. I saw the same place of dreams; I could recall my recent visit to those places. Another horrid act by the terrorists had made those places look very haunted. There were 3 serial blasts in Mumbai as the news flashed. It was at Dadar near Kabutar-khana, Zaveri bazaar and The Opera House area. I couldn’t believe my eyes as those places looked very familiar but yet very unfamiliar due to the bleeding bodies lying at those places on the streets. News showed people crying, where few days earlier I had seen them smiling even to the unknowns. Their pain at present was difficult to depict. Some kinds of vehicles were seen carrying the injured bodies and those scenes were very excruciating. Again another news flashed showing that it was Kasab’s birthday and it reminded me of 26/11. Anger roared within me, that this bastard is still fed by our government and is yet to be butchered. That night was a very intricate one for me; it made me feel the pain of the place that I visited a few days back.
The next day, while switching through news channels, I found some channel taking the credit for being the first one to reach the place and give updates about the attack. It made me dunk in more hatred towards those channels. Another one flashed about the barking of Rahul GAYndhi and PIGvijay Singh as usual. These political bastards would never change. I always thought that this PIGvijay was supposed to be in some asylum and what was he doing in this exterior world. At night my friend messaged me that the Barkha Lady has barked foolishly again in her channel. I smiled and it was a smile of anguish that when will this country and these political parties revolutionize and when will the politicians stop barking and start talking likes human beings.
Our country needs a huge change in its thinking and in its voice. So, it made me think of taking an initiative of writing and making it possible that we youth should write our thoughts and our writings is shared among as many as possible. The words in those writings may have any kind of anger, love, or hatred, but it should pledge to share a positive message. Anyone can pour in any positive idea or thoughts. This made me form a group called “The Unfeigned Paladins”. We should emerge as a true champion and try our best to revolutionize things.
With love,
Rajdeep.
