Mahzbeen, 19, Mumbai, India
Unlike a lot of my classmates, teachers and a lot of other
people I know, I have travelled very less by train or taxi despite having lived
in Mumbai for over 2 years now. It is not because I don’t go to a lot of
places, it is just because my idea of distance is very different as compared to
a lot of people and I’d rather walk to places. It is mostly the case, that I
enjoy the walking to a place more than being at the place.
I am not really an introvert, or a loner, but I really love
being by myself, I’d chose that over social interaction any day. Space is a
major issue I have to deal with constantly. For instance, I love walking, but I
do not like the fact that there are so many people who are constantly in such
proximity. I detest the accidental brushing against or bumping into, not only
because it is intentional more often than not, but also because it is an
invasion of my space.
At the same time though, I relish those accidental eye
contact moments, and awkward yet most genuine smiles exchanged in split seconds
just because you feel the vibe. There is nothing better than a friendly nod of
the head when you’re lamenting over a clumsy fall on the street. It’s like
saying ‘I feel you, fellow human being.’ You may never see that person again,
but in that moment you made a connect that wouldn’t have been possible had you
taken the bus, or the taxi or had you been riding on your scooter.
I absolutely enjoy
wandering, mentally as well as physically. I love the idea of turning a
different corner instead of taking the same way and discovering a place or a
person you did not know exists. It’s that simple, the world that we’re all
trying to escape from and escape to are both around the corner. It’s just about
walking the extra mile.
I also love traveling on my own and you have so perfectly captured what it is about it that is magical, the accidental connections! The places I travel though are very quiet with the occasional pedestrian walking, crowded places make me feel extremely uncomfortable. "I love the idea of turning a different corner instead of taking the same way". Yes, exactly :)
ReplyDelete-Zahra
Also I love the photographs you have shared of the streets and the stairs! Are there any interesting moments you'd like to share?
ReplyDeleteHi Zahra! Apologies for the extremely delayed response. There are so many moments I could share. Most of them involve the people who live on the street and animals.
DeleteOne memory that is very close to my heart, is of this old man who used to sit at the tea shop on my way to college. He used to sit by himself, smoking cigarettes and talking to himself. I always wondered what his story was: If he had a family, or if he was abandoned, where he lived, what his conditions were, where he got the money to buy all those cigarettes?!! I remember walking down a couple of days in a row and not seeing him. My heart panicked so much in those 3 or 4 days, to know what had become of him...he reappeared, and the routine went on again for quiet sometime. He disappeared again after sometime, and I havent seen him since then.
College is over now, but I still walk that route quiet often at different times in the day. I understand the probability that he has passed on, but I like to think that he has been saved. Either ways I hope from the deepest core of my heart that he is in a better place.
There are quiet a few such instances, which have been heartbreaking, and have made me realise how little i have to worry about really. It is intense, it is frightening, it is also elating at sometimes. It is definitely always overwhelming.
Apologies for the super delayed response again:)