Me Mumbaikar

Mumbai, the financial capital of India, has been in the news recently - for reasons quite appalling. The city has a habit of creating headlines and its people have acquainted themselves to move on despite all the negative news. From riots to bomb blasts to floods to gun and grenade attacks, the city has seen it all. Being born and brought up in such a city gives you the courage to face the worst of terrors and still continue living like nothing is wrong.

I have lived through the riots, swan across in the floods, experienced the bomb blasts and witnessed the gun attacks; but such incidents have neither deterred my love for the city nor the respect for its citizenry. But a recent incident has rocked my belief in the sanity of the city's populace.

Having attended a friend's pre-wedding dinner; I was on my way home passing through a narrow road, when suddenly a jeep appears on my right and tries to overtake my car. Being on a single lane road, he could not overtake my vehicle and tried to push me on the side of road. I refused to break and instead sped ahead past him on my lane. This angered the driver of the other vehicle who took the first chance to overtake my car and stop me. I rolled down my window and asked him why he was driving so recklessly on such a narrow road? To this the agitated driver shows me a wooden cane and threatens to shove it up my @**.

Enraged as I was with this comment, I decided to maintain decency as I didn't want to pick up a fight a night before a close friend's wedding (can't afford to have black and blue marks caught on the camera). So I again inquire about the chap's problem and the reason behind him being so enraged. This time he erupts like a volcano, first with some thundering Hindi swearing and then he hits the nail. YOU BLOODY GUJARATI (wonder how he figured that out; maybe it's on my face), he yells, do you understand what right of way is? Have you ever given a driving test? Or did you father foot your bill? Now I was loosing it. I replied that yes my father footed the bill; you have a problem with that? Doesn't your father foot your bills? Are you jealous?

The temperature soars further. He was furious, grabbing the stick even harder. He flexed his throat again and said: you bloody outsiders, stay within your limits if you want to live peacefully here. Don't mess with us, remember you don't belong here. This comment tested my temper. But I somehow managed to stay sober. I subtly told him that he was not in his senses and that I would not like to have any further discussions with him. I rolled up my windows and drove away. So did he. I couldn't drive much further; I was infuriated. I stopped and looked at my friends. What did he just say? How could he have made a comment like that? To this my friend replied, this is the Raj effect my friend. Politicians don't realize what they do to the aam-janta in their chase for votes. Had it not been for the friends wedding, I would have surely reacted much strongly to such communal views.

As for Mr. Raj, let me tell him that it is because of us outsiders that his Mumbai is the financial capital of the country. It is us outsiders who have interests in businesses, thereby create wealth as well as employment, we are also the largest participants in the stock markets. It is us outsiders that forms the biggest film industry and pays the highest taxes. You and your men are nothing more than public servants. All you can do is laze around in Government offices, ask for bribes and spread corruption. The gentleman had asked me if my father foots my bills? Yes he does. Atleast he does it out of his hard earned money. Unlike some public servant who survives only on bribes. A$$h*le...

Its not usual that I would hold such extremist views, but this incident has really gotten over the better part of myself. I could so pick up a fight with someone who would want to remind me of being an outsider again. This city is as much mine as it is someone else's. I am an integral part of it and nobody can deny that.

In an Era when the globe is shrinking, some vote hungry, attention seeking politician wants to divide the country on communal grounds....May common-sense prevail over politics.