Random Musings

Many disasters happen in India – bombings, floods, riots, and what not.
But they don’t happen in Mumbai.

Sometimes some events happen in Mumbai also – like the bombings in Ghatkopar, or at the Gateway of India.
But these were isolated, one off location events in the city.

It could easily have been thus, even with the rains. There could have been equally devastating floods in Konkan and Raigad, there could have even been some problems in the city too, like floods in Kalyan or Dombivili or something.
But if they had skipped the rest of the city, then….

1. The city would have continued like nothing happened. And they would have talked about the ‘spirit of Mumbai’ and how the citizens continued, inspite of the floods in Kalyan and Dombivili..

2. As commuters trudged into the city in the morning locals, they would have talked about some colleagues who suffered in Mumbai, and chuckled in sympathy. And then gone ahead and changed the topic to Narayan Rane joining Congress, or how there is no Mumbai boy has made it to the Indian cricket team..

3. The floods in Raigad would have featured on page 1 of the morning daily, with a photograph and some smart headline (“Citizens’ vacations to Goa suffer as Konkan Railway goes down once again”); but the page one space would have been shared with other stories like the injury to Ayesha Takia on her film set, or the latest MMS featuring Rakhi Sawant…

4. The sensex would have penetrated the 8000 level by now; under the present circumstances, with Mumbai underwater, the sensex has kept going up, but if Mumbai had been spared, it would have raced faster..

5. Many of us would have planned an evening together, to watch the inconsequential, one-sided cricket game between two depleted sides, on Sunday, just to watch India win after a long time, against West Indies. And we would have arranged cocktail snacks to go with our drinks, as we enjoyed the game. But in the break between innings, we would have also discussed the floods in Kalyan, and how our material cannot be received from there, and how we have two staff members who are unable to attend for last 3 days… along with our analysis of Harbhajan’s looping delivery, and whether Laxman is really injured..

6. There would have been a rush to the multiplexes to see the actual product behind the beautiful sepia promos of “Yahaan”, as it released on Friday..

7. Some os us would have planned a drive to Bushy Dam in Lonavala, followed by a brunch at Fariyas, as ‘finally there are some rains in Mumbai’….

But for once, the rains did not just skirt Mumbai. They came in big and strong.