That Day Before Sunrise

It is said that Mumbai, the city that is my home, is the "City of Dreams". Ironically though, it is also the city that never sleeps!! For a common person like me, the day comes to an end at midnight and starts at sunrise, well, if the sun rises at 6am.....hehe..

Recently I got a glimpse of this city by night, when I returned to Mumbai by a flight that landed a little past midnight. The airport was buzzing with activity, with large queues at every counter. The immigration and customs officials were on full alert and carrying out their duties with the sweetest smile on their faces. Although it did take a while, we made it out without any major glitches.

Once we were out, we got a receipt for a prepaid taxi and expected a long wait as there had been a thunderstorm which had brought the city to a standstill just a few hours before. To our surprise, there were a hoard of taxis lined up, with drivers ready to take the tired passengers to their destinations. Some distance away, there were auto rickshaws available too, for convenience of people who traveled light or didn't stay too far away.

We got into our taxi and started for our home. When we entered the city, it did not seem like it was way past midnight....almost 3 am. It was alive, with small tea stalls serving piping hot, sweet 'Chai' to people who were fighting sleep to work at that hour. The newspaper vendors were sorting their lots, to be distributed later in the day. Milk vans had just got fresh stock of milk packets from the dairies, to be supplied to vendors who would be surrounded by customers in a few hours. There were also a few roadside stalls selling snacks for people who might get hungry during their odd work hours or who had just got off from their shifts at the innumerous mills or call-centers in Mumbai.

As we weaved our cab through the streets, we also saw the huge cleaning trucks cleaning the roads, preparing them for another long, hot and busy day in this city. Somewhere in all this din, even at this so-called unearthly hour, I felt safe as we passed three to four police vans at different locations.....I felt like I was at home!!!!

Today, I would like to dedicate this post to all those people who make Mumbai what it is....The City That Never Sleeps. They give up their dreams, time with their families, their valuable sleep, all so that life for common citizens like us gets convenient during the day. 

I salute their spirit and effort and I am thankful for the oppurtunity, for what I got to see, THAT DAY BEFORE SUNRISE!!!

                                             -------- MocktailMommy Prasanna

 ‘This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.’