The Departure Lounge

I once wrote, “What is it about New Year’s, sunsets and birthdays that make you so reflective?” Apparently, airports have the same effect. Or maybe that’s just when you know that you have stuffed in two-years-worth of your life into 30 kilos of checked-in luggage (not an easy feat, I assure you).

That’s exactly where I am. At Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. Physically.

Mentally? I’m already gulfing down Mom’s food and stretching out in my bed at home. A.k.a – I’m excited. And surprisingly, not at all sad.

Don’t get me wrong – I’ve loved every single minute of the last two years, and I wouldn’t change it for anything. From landing in the middle of the crazy monsoons to changing worn-out floaters faster than I lost my umbrellas; from house-hunting without any money to paying every possible bill imaginable; from being overwhelmed that first day in the classroom, and then the day after, and the one after, and so on, until slowly, I began to feel like I belonged, to getting engulfed in a massive 43-student hug on my last day; from catching up with long-lost friends to finding familiarity in new ones; from preparing myself to run after buses and trains to unashamedly hailing cabs out of laziness; from the sweltering heat of summer to the best winter ever; from the wind of Marine Drive to the waves of Worli Sea Face; from Wada Pavs to Long-Island Iced-Teas; from Aksa beach to Panchgani; from the slums of the city to the 35^th floor of skyscrapers; from my roadside Hakka noodles to mac n cheese at Phoenix mills; from spending a few grands in a single weekend to surviving an entire month in just fifteen; from standing scared on one side of the road to confidently shoving my hand in front of drivers’ faces as I crossed between traffic; from the deepest trench of depression to the height of inspiration; from the best moments to the worst – these two years have been exhilarating!

Ever since I was a kid, Bombay had seemed like the kind of city every youngster needed to experience on their own – something like an initiation rite. Don’t ask why. But I think that was part of the reason why I opted for this city when I joined Teach for India, and I’m glad to say that I managed to survive it. In one piece.

Before, every time I visited Bombay – I hated it. All I saw was people, traffic and trash. Well, that’s still there. But there’s so much hidden in this city that you just have to live in it to allow yourself to fall in love with it.

And so, my stint with Bombay (I still can’t get myself to say Mumbai!) comes to an end. And yet I’m excited – for what’s going to come next. Maybe I’ve just said goodbye to too many people and too many cities that it just doesn’t bother me anymore. Or maybe I’ve just grown up and become better at accepting change.

I prefer to go with the latter.

Ciao!

PS: My only regret? I still didn't get to see Shahrukh Khan or Shahid Kapoor!!! :(