I have been bestowed a highly peripatetic existence largely due to circumstances beyond my control. In just over a decade and half, work has made me move 9 times across cities (more often than not against my personal desire). One exception was a recent move back to the Capital which was to my liking. The missus insists otherwise though I suspect it has a lot to do with a lady's inherent tendency to keep her partner under pressure.
Despite living in 9 cities (and towns) , Delhi is the city I call home (after maybe Bhubaneswar where I have little hope of settling down anymore). So while I am delighted to relocate to Delhi after a 4-year exile ( even though I am yet to spend more than 4 straight days here after moving) , there are a few things about Mumbai I certainly seem to miss as I get my feet under the table.
Firstly, the "walk to everything" option that living in Bandra (a Mumbai suburb for the uninitiated) accords. From a pedestrian chicken-roll to a 7-course meal, from street clothes to designer couture , from coffee shop relaxation to a therapeutic run-by-the-sea, Bandra had it all. Delhi has substitutes but most of them call for getting behind the wheel.
One had begun taking home delivery for granted. I enjoyed superior loyalty status from the neighbourhood wine-store, a far cry from my current routine where I often pick up my chosen brand of poison from far-flung Haryana on my way home from work. Even when one orders in now, there is a concept of "minimum amount" which has been alien for years. While this affects the better half way more than yours truly, it leads to frequent marital discord (mostly contrived- refer para 1).
Mumbaikars have a unique ability to convert the proverbial "adversity into opportunity". So they actually try and convince you that their "casual" dressing is a reflection of the city's "coolness quotient". You could mistake many a unkempt Investment Banker for a rag-picker were it not for the environ where you bumped into them. Be that as it may, a part of me had shed sartorial correctness and begun dressing a tad err casually. It is still taking a bit of effort to lace up before each outing and I cant believe I sometimes curse denizens of my current city for being turned out the way civilized people ought to be.
All the above pale in comparison to the informality and prolific interaction that friends in Delhi confer. To add, the comfort of living close to immediate family is tough to articulate adequately . We are infuriated each day though by Gurgaon residents who question our wisdom of living in Delhi over Gurgaon. Well, please be my guest and live in Manesar (or maybe Daruhera) and you'll have your answer.
Despite living in 9 cities (and towns) , Delhi is the city I call home (after maybe Bhubaneswar where I have little hope of settling down anymore). So while I am delighted to relocate to Delhi after a 4-year exile ( even though I am yet to spend more than 4 straight days here after moving) , there are a few things about Mumbai I certainly seem to miss as I get my feet under the table.
Firstly, the "walk to everything" option that living in Bandra (a Mumbai suburb for the uninitiated) accords. From a pedestrian chicken-roll to a 7-course meal, from street clothes to designer couture , from coffee shop relaxation to a therapeutic run-by-the-sea, Bandra had it all. Delhi has substitutes but most of them call for getting behind the wheel.
One had begun taking home delivery for granted. I enjoyed superior loyalty status from the neighbourhood wine-store, a far cry from my current routine where I often pick up my chosen brand of poison from far-flung Haryana on my way home from work. Even when one orders in now, there is a concept of "minimum amount" which has been alien for years. While this affects the better half way more than yours truly, it leads to frequent marital discord (mostly contrived- refer para 1).
Mumbaikars have a unique ability to convert the proverbial "adversity into opportunity". So they actually try and convince you that their "casual" dressing is a reflection of the city's "coolness quotient". You could mistake many a unkempt Investment Banker for a rag-picker were it not for the environ where you bumped into them. Be that as it may, a part of me had shed sartorial correctness and begun dressing a tad err casually. It is still taking a bit of effort to lace up before each outing and I cant believe I sometimes curse denizens of my current city for being turned out the way civilized people ought to be.
All the above pale in comparison to the informality and prolific interaction that friends in Delhi confer. To add, the comfort of living close to immediate family is tough to articulate adequately . We are infuriated each day though by Gurgaon residents who question our wisdom of living in Delhi over Gurgaon. Well, please be my guest and live in Manesar (or maybe Daruhera) and you'll have your answer.
