White Collars & Black Umbrellas

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Now that I’m in a new phase of life: the white-collar employee journey and that too in a city as crowded and as expensive like Mumbai, I have become accustomed to travelling in Local trains and local, unlike other trains as metro, is not a cakewalk, especially during monsoons. It’s overly crowded, sweaty and fusty. One has to have a proper understanding of the way to travel safe in Locals, especially those not belonging to Mumbai like me. I’m from Delhi and in Delhi metros, the worst level of a rush can be till the point the metro door shuts, however in local, if you’re able to even hang on its door, you’re considered among the few lucky ones who got space!

My first few days of travelling by Local was difficult and frustrating as anything, some lady might step on my foot or I wouldn’t be able to climb on the train due to rush or my bag would get stuck and the list is endless. Additionally, it was very difficult to keep up with ‘Mumbaikers’ speed. They are rushing for everything- rushing to get to office/ home, rushing to get a seat in the local, rushing to get down at the station, basically, they are quick and you need to pace up to match their speed level to become somewhat savvy with locals. Monsoons, the scenario worsens, when you need to handle not just the pace but yourself too, while being loaded with raincoat, umbrella, and gumboots.

So this other day, while I was travelling back home from work, I was standing near the train door, ready to get off as the train further slowed near the platform. Initially, I used to wait for the train to completely stop before getting down to avoid any accidents, but as the rush increased during peak hours, people from behind would push me down the train eventually.

 But this particular day, a not so happy lady standing at the platform waiting to get in the train, blocked by me, shouted at me “Train rukne ke baad utregi kya?” (Will you get off after the train stops?). It’s not the first time I have been shouted at by aunties, however, something might have been different that day because that one line hit me very hard and somehow got stuck to my head. It keeps reminding me, the importance of time and that I cannot start acting upon once the time elapses. If I have to think, I have to think and act now. If it has to happen, it has to happen Now!


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