Why are celebrities vulnerable

Why is it that every time Bollywood celebrities, mostly the three Khans, comment on any serious issue, it’s always blown out of proportion and they are hounded like crazy by the media and the cyber citizens as if they had done blasphemy?

In a star crazy nation like India where people are interested in knowing everything about their favourite stars, the media seizes the opportunity to raise their ratings and circulation. On the other hand, the general people go hammer and tongs against them on the social media, some questioning their integrity and patriotism and others simply posting distasteful comments.

While everybody has a right to make a comment or feeling publicly as guaranteed by our constitution, why is it that actors are targeted? Nobody has any issue when they talk about their affairs or rivalry with other actors. Is it simply because they are vulnerable and cannot strike back hard as they cannot afford to lose their fan following or antagonise the media on which they are heavily dependent for publicity?

The latest on the target list is Aamir Khan after his comment on the intolerance issue, “As an individual, as a citizen I have also been alarmed, I can’t deny it, by a number of incidents…for the first time Kiran said should we move out of India. That’s a disastrous and big statement for her to make.”

It became a front page headline and there were comments all over social media. Some defended him, arguing that he never said that he would leave India. Others slammed him, saying how could he make such comments for India which made him a star. There were heavy security outside his house and the media was after him for a reaction. Shiv Sena announced a reward for slapping him.

Anupam Kher was critical in his tweet, Dear @aamir_khan. Did you ask Kiran which country would she like to move out to? Did you tell her that this country has made you… But Ram Gopal Verma tweeted positively, “If Aamir, Sharuk and Salman the three biggest stars of the Hindu country “India” are Muslims, I don’t understand where the intolerance is.”  

This is not the first time Aamir came under the media’s scanner. He came under the spotlight when he commented after the Vadodara riots, “I want the people of India to see that here is a political party that does not believe in democracy…”

He also came into focus when he joined the Narmada dam issue with Medha Patkar who was on a hunger strike in Delhi. Though he had not made any political comment and just met her at the venue, the media and many people had dismissed it as a publicity stunt. He also came under attack from doctors after he highlighted malpractice in the medical profession in his programme Satyameva Jayate.

Aamir Khan is not alone to be targeted. Earlier also on several occasions, celebrities had to apologise or take back their comments. Before Aamir, Shah Rukh Khan added his voice to the protest against the 'climate of intolerance' and said that there was "extreme intolerance" in the country, hitting the headline. Then followed the same cycle -- media hounding, social media leaving everything aside to target him and protests by political elements.

BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya had painted the actor as "anti-nationalist" and said his "soul" is in Pakistan though he lives in India. He, however, withdrew his controversial remarks but he refused to apologise. Several others follow suit. But this time the otherwise vociferous Shiv Sena, came out in full support of the Bollywood actor and said the superstar should not be targeted only because he is a Muslim and that the minority community in India is "tolerant".

Shah Rukh Khan had earlier entered into a controversy when he said, “I sometimes become the inadvertent object of political leaders who choose to make me a symbol of all that they think is wrong and unpatriotic about Muslims in India. … Rallies have been held where leaders have exhorted me to leave my home and return to what they refer to as my ‘original homeland.”

In another instance, Shahrukh Khan's mention of the Prophet in a quote led to a huge backlash from the Muslim clergy. When he was asked by a magazine, “According to you who is the most impressive figure in history?” he replied, “There are lots of them, some negative ones like Hitler, Napoleon, Winston Churchill and if I can call it history, then Prophet Mohammed and from recent time Nelson Mandela.” “And there are nice ones like Gandhiji and Mother Teresa.”

Later he said, “Obviously, I think there is no figure in history more important than Prophet Mohammed. Also, being a Muslim and standing up for the tenets of Islam is my most important agenda… and if they have seen my interviews, etc on TV about Islam, then the people who are objecting, should realise that what has appeared is a writing error not a thought or view that I believe in. Prophet Mohammed is the most important positive figure in Islam… and anyone who questions my view on that, is doing it just to create a controversy.”

Salman Khan is the media’s favourite because of his court cases. He is also infamous for his controversial comments. On the 26/11 attack in Mumbai, he had commented, “Everybody knows that the Pakistan government was not behind 26/11 attack and it was a terrorist attack.” Later when hell broke loose on his comment all over the media, he said, “Next time main apne sab interview khud bhi record karunga… taki yeh sab controversies na ho…”

Salman Khan also got into trouble when he commented after Yakub Menon’s conviction, “Get tiger (Tiger Memon), hang him. Parade him not his brother. Later he apologised, “I would like to unconditionally apologise for any misunderstanding.” Even his father Salim Khan spoke against him, fearing the ‘anti-national’ backlash. “Whatever Salman has written is ridiculous and meaningless. Salman is ignorant of the issue and people should not take him seriously.”

Salman Khan even faced flak for flying kite with Narendra Modi when he was still campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls and for his association with Sri Lanka’s Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Even Saif Ali Khan had miffed quite a few in Pakistan with his statement, “I have lost faith in Pakistan”. This he said after his film ‘Phantom’ had been banned in the Islamic Republic, following its controversial trailer depicting Pakistan as a hub for terrorists had been released. Some years ago, actress Khushboo came under attack from religious groups and activists over her comments on pre-martial sex, forcing her to issue a clarification. 

While there can be a healthy debate on what they said is right or wrong, what they said cannot surely become news of the day or take half of front pages and prime time slots on TV just because they are celebrities. And nobody for that matter should be shocked when they comment on a serious matter. They are all flesh and blood like us and have every right to make their feelings public. After all the beauty of Indian democracy is that it allows us all to speak aloud. But personal and press liberty shouldn’t become go to the extent that it becomes a vilifying or smear campaign. 

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Living on the edge

Living on the edge

  Today when I went to the pathological lab for a simple blood test, I saw a small boy, a dengue patient, waiting for his turn. The small boy, I heard, was coming twice a day to check his platelet count. The tired and worried parents were eagerly waiting for the report. I could relate to their tension as I also have a son of the same age.

The kid was suffering from dengue, a disease that has wreaked havoc in Delhi-NCR this year. This year, a vast majority of those affected, including the victims, are children. Experts say the outbreak is only likely to intensify in by mid-October.

I wonder, aren’t we living on the edge year after year. Are we paying the price of living in a big city? With the onset of monsoon every year, dengue raises its ugly head and people live in fear with each passing day. We start taking precautions by not opening doors and windows even in day hours as the dengue mosquito bites in the morning and during day time. This year, a circular was sent from my son’s school, asking them to wear full sleeves shirt and long trousers in summer time; most of big schools are air-conditioned and so sending them fully covered wouldn’t be a problem for those studying there. But what about kids in government schools where there is no guarantee that the rickety fan would work. Wouldn’t they sweat just because the government is trying to cover up its own failure to check mosquito-breeding than the kids?

In the evening again, I cannot stop him from going to the park so cover him in this humid September to protect him from that nasty bite.

Recently, the swimming pool of our society was closed after two children had dengue fever. Only then, reality struck our management members that dengue mosquito breeds in clean water. Every year dengue is at its peak in October, the festival season. And there is no respite till Diwali night when smoke from crackers stops these tiny killers. But is this a healthy solution?

But are these protections enough? Come winter and again another fear will start worrying us -- swine flu. In peak summer when people from other places dread to come to the national capital, we feel safe as the hot sun protects us at least from these diseases.

Then there is the constant fear of air pollution; it is said after 10 years Delhi will be counted among the most polluted cities in the world. I think it is already there. If these killer diseases are taking toll year after year why doesn’t the government take precautions beforehand? Simple steps like cleaning drains, cutting unnecessary hedges and bushes, stopping dumping of garbage here and there, conducting fumigation drives across all places not only in the posh areas, covering areas where stagnant water accumulates. These are enough to restrict disease from spreading.

The common people must also take responsibility to keep their surroundings clean along with their houses. Instead, our political parties are busy in a blame game. When in power, their term gets over before taking any sincere step and when in opposition their only task is to blame the ruling party. This year, the unofficial death toll is already nearing 50. Delhi had witnessed a large number of dengue cases in 2010, with over 6,200 cases.

This year, the death of a seven-year- old dengue patient followed by his parents’ suicide was shocking. Every year we read, we feel bad and then we forget until a similar story hits the headlines next year. We think this can happen to others and not us.

In such emergency situations, why can’t private hospitals open their doors for the poor at nominal rates so that they don’t have to run from pillar to post? Sometimes they are shown the door saying no beds are available, sometimes they are told treatment not possible there. Initiatives to improve the conditions of the government hospitals will help in controlling such diseases in the long run. Till then, living on the edge will become a routine affair and part of our daily lives.

Soap opera of the absurd

Soap opera of the absurd

  I was surfing the television channels the other day, searching for something to ‘pass time’, as they say. While I could not find a single serial worthwhile to even stand for a few minutes, I was dumbstruck with the quality of what is shown on the idiot box in the name of entertainment.

Regressive, I thought, are today’s serials. But then, regressive would be a tame word I guess. These are atrocious, lousy and diabolical – a throwback to the loud and bad Hindi movies of the ’80s – and do justify the tag ‘idiot box’ given to television.

In this 21^st century when we are all standing up against superstition, here was a TV serial showing the protagonist challenging a daiin (witch) and taking on a nagin before that. Absolutely ridiculous! My seven-year-old son who was watching innocently asked. “Mamma, does this happen in real life also?” Even he understood that this can’t be real. I replied, “No they are just doing theatre just like you do in your theatre class.”

Then there was another serial in which a young widow is made to follow all the rules of a rigid conservative Hindu society. And we all thought widow remarriage is no big deal these days and the focus is on economic self-reliance of women.

In another serial, the lead character married so many times that even viewers lost count. Once while my mother-in-law was watching that serial and a marriage sequence was going on, my husband asked who was getting married. She replied the lead character, to which he said “Oh no, Not again!” and there were bouts of laughter.

One soap is about a girl who is the subject of ridicule day in and day out. The reason -- believe it or not – is her stammering. The whole world right from her neighbours to her office colleagues to her in-laws is after her to make her life hell. They insult her again and again, calling her ruk ruk ke bolne wali. I wonder if anybody behaves like that today.

In many serials, the mom-in law is shown plotting against the daughter-in-law and the later doesn’t utter a word. I don’t think today’s girls are so dumb and so tolerant. Why can’t they focus on not tolerating such behaviour and lodging complaints against domestic violence? In our self-defence classes with Delhi Police, we were told even emotional torture is a crime and action would be taken if complaint is lodged. Or will they wait for the daughter-in-law to die and take rebirth for revenge? Going by our present day stories, even that is possible.

In yet another story, the father-in-law is the hell breaker in the household and makes the lives of all the women in the house like jail inmates. They are not allowed to go out and even wear a saree of their choice. My, my, isn’t that a bit too much?

All this reminds of our childhood days when DD was the only channel and cable network was yet to enter our lives. The serials came once a week and we used to wait for a whole week to know what would happen next. The storylines were simple and real and we would instantly connect with them. The characters were so like us and we would laugh and cry with them and understand their feelings. The stories had a logical ending. Serials like Humlog, Buniyaad, Katha Sagar, Ye jo hai zindegi, Rajni, etc., that we can never forget. Serials that were so popular and even today people talk about them. May be that is why when Zindagi channel entered our homes, it instantly struck a chord with the viewers as they found its storylines similar with the old DD days.

Even today some serials start with a good theme but under the daily pressure, they lose track. Writers are forced to stretch the storyline to such an extent that it becomes boring and people lose interest. They bring twists and turns every now and then by entry of a vamp or rebirth angle or double role and even plastic surgery. Even actors start quitting the shows and serial makers have to replace them with new faces, confusing the viewers all the more.

Serial makers often reason that they add masala to the soaps to attract housewives. Please give me a break. Today’s homemakers are educated so why feed them with such stories? If people stop watching such shows, TRPs will automatically go down and the channels will be bound to pull the plug on these serials.

But I also feel there must be are a lot of viewers who regularly watch such serials. Even I failed to convince my mom-in-law not to watch such serials. Her logic is “what else do I watch?”

Isn’t it time for serial makers to give us something worthwhile and tell the world that TV is more than just an idiot box?

Anecdotes from #Delhi Police #self-defence camp

Fighting back

 

One day while turning the pages of a newspaper, I came across an ad on self-defence. It was about a women’s summer camp conducted by the Special Police Unit for Women and Children (SPUWAC), Delhi Police. When I saw that the starting age was 13, I was little indecisive. Still I went ahead and registered myself as there was an online option. One month was left for the camp and with each passing day, I was in two minds -- to go for it, or not to go. Two days before the camp, I even went shopping and bought myself track suits and T-shirts.

Finally the D-day arrived and with lots of doubts in mind, I reached the venue on time. There was a long queue for the registration number and I was relieved to see quite a lot of women of different ages along with young girls. The numbers were definitely encouraging and the camp started at 9 am sharp. A few women officers were present to train us and the introduction was very encouraging -- ‘women can do anything’, ‘we all have strength, we just have to utilise it when in need and for that we have to know the right technique’, ‘there is no age to learn anything’.

Then began the vigorous warm-up sessions that loosened every muscle and bone in my body. I was already tired but I was happy that at the end of 15 days, along with learning some self-defence techniques, I would shed a few kilos. While some women had enrolled for the training along with their daughters, there were a few who just accompanied their wards and remained mere spectators. The instructors repeatedly requested them to enrol but they didn’t budge; I really pity those women. There was a woman who was above 60 years, and I salute her for her enthusiasm. A senior woman officer came and gave us a very encouraging speech and we were all charged up. After two hours on Day-1, we already knew a few moves and I was smiling ear to ear when my husband came to pick me up.

Our instructors had warned us not to try our moves on our family members but yes of course, we had to practise to master it. But there was this irresistible urge to do so and after reaching home each day, I would practise my moves on my husband. Not literally, of course! I would say ‘grip my neck, hand or hair’ and he would say ‘NO’ every time, but gave up finally.

In one of the classes, we were being taught what to do if someone grabs our hair; the fourth move was to pull down the attacker. A few girls got so excited that they started pulling down each other and there was laughter all round. Our instructors sternly warned us that we can only do so when we practise on mattresses, so that nobody gets hurt. And that we would waste our energy if we laugh, instead there should be aggression and anger on our face.  

The next day, we finally got the chance to show our prowess on mattresses with our partners. We practised how to defend ourselves if someone attacks us from the back, and pulled our partners down. They pulled us down in the next round. Each and every one got the opportunity and the practise was indeed exciting. 

In another class, a girl got hurt in her hand because she got too close to a stand fan. Since an ambulance was present at the venue, she was given first-aid immediately. So, there was relief that all precautions had been taken.

Though we learnt many tricks, we were not told which self- defence technique we were being taught. My journalistic mind started asking questions and to calm my inquisitiveness, I searched on net with all the key words that I heard at the camp. I looked for all forms of martial arts but the terms were not matching ours. So the next day, when we got our 5-minute break, I approached the senior officer. I was little apprehensive as he was almost 6-feet tall. He told us that those were moves specially created by Delhi Police to make Delhi women self-reliant and strong.  

When the first Saturday came, our two-hour class got over half-an-hour early and we were told it was masti time and anybody can show their talent on stage. Some shared jokes, some sang songs, some even danced and I got nostalgic and went back to my favourite school days.

Our 15^th day was the closing ceremony at Siri Fort auditorium. We were taken to the venue in buses and we made a queue for everything like school girls. Commissioner of Delhi Police Bhim Sain Bassi was the chief guest. A movie on self-defence was screened where the actors were all Delhi Police personnel. The surprise was that most of our women instructors were seen onscreen and there were cheers from all the students seeing our gurus in a different avatar. Mr Bassi took direct questions from students and most of his solutions focussed on essential self-defence training for girls. When questions poured in non-stop, Mr Bassi said, “I know you all got bored from me and now say with me BORE.” And there was an echo of loud ‘NOooo’ from the students.”

We received our certificates the same day and I got another designation in the certificate. Instead of journalist and counsellor, I was mentioned as a teacher; not bad!

Hope more people enrol in such camps and women in Delhi are no more scared to venture out even at odd hours.  When I enrolled at the camp, many laughed at me and were sarcastic, but I didn’t give a damn. And today after completing the course, I am a new person with renewed energy with loads of confidence.

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Life without #Maggi

Life without Maggi

When the news first broke a couple of weeks back that it’s not safe to have Maggi as the masala contains lead -- and some news even said it contains monosodium glutamate -- we had just one packet of our favourite snack left. We immediately had that before getting any further news. My seven-year-old is a Maggi fan and it’s a custom for him to have Maggi every Sunday as we had told him it is not advisable to have it every day as it is junk food. But of course, we gave him the healthy wheat noodles instead of the maida one. He is very conscious as they are taught in school only to have healthy food. He even says ‘No’ to pizza and burger but when it comes to Maggi, he loves to argue that it’s not junk.

I still remember when we heard about the name for the first time in school in the ’80s and Maggi packets were distributed free for promotion. At that time my mother was not at home, so my father served us boiled Maggi. I didn’t like the taste then.

But after marriage, Maggi became a good option as an evening snack and after much experimentation with onion, egg and even chicken, I got the perfect taste and I joined the bandwagon of Maggi fans.

When I conceived, I used to have Maggi almost daily as a ritual; maybe my son developed the taste from the womb. Whoever heard about it scolded me, but my son was born fit and fine.

My office colleagues liked the way I made Maggi, and I often got requests to bring Maggi for lunch. So Saturday I generally took Maggi, as I was dead tired after five days of office and didn’t have the energy to make anything else. So Maggi was such a relief and saving grace.

One of my friends even made a future plan with me to open a Maggi stall at Delhi University campus and she would say it would definitely sell like hot cakes. And she would join me as a cashier. What a plan!

Last year when we visited Goa, my husband made a plan that when we would grow old and our son would fly from our nest, we would open a shack in Goa and a Maggi stall, in case our restaurant idea didn’t work.

But today morning when I read the news ‘Delhi bans Maggi’, all our plans remained a dream forever. Leave aside the ‘grand plans’, now we can’t even have Maggi at the comfort of our homes.

And how can we forget the Maggie ad “Mummy bhuk lagi hai….do minute”.

Sad the 2-minute wonder is past now and another chapter of our life has been closed with nostalgic Maggi moments.

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Shaky weekend

Shaky weekend!

 

Well this was the first time we experienced a major shake on the eighth floor and my first reaction was, ‘something is wrong with my health, my head is spinning’. A few seconds later, my husband also felt the same, and then we noticed the fans and lights in our drawing room moving and there was no hint of wind outside. And we echoed together EARTHQUAKE! My son was watching his favourite cartoon and it was difficult to explain him why the hell the earth was moving. My husband quickly took his purse, ATMs and house keys. The first thought that came to my mind was, I cannot go out in my nightwear in case I have to stay in a camp, as flashes of such severe occurrences that I watched on Discovery and news channels came to my eyes. In such a scenario, my jeans and T-shirt were the most handy and comfy.

Well, it turned out to be a serious issue as the quake was 7.9 on Richter scale and that too the epicentre was in our neighbouring Nepal, the biggest one to hit that country in eight decades. But as we went outside, a few observations around made me smile even in such a serious scenario. One of my neighbours shared with me the same thought, ‘even she changed her dress’. Someone said even UP has been hit, I felt like saying ‘We are also in UP though we call it Delhi-NCR and Delhi and UP are neighbouring states’ but controlled my tongue. By then almost everyone from our 12-floor apartment was downstairs and discussions were on whether our building was earthquake-resistant. No matter what the discussion was, deep inside everybody knew there is no way of escaping in case a major one hit us, as Delhi is located in seismic zone 4. Meanwhile rumours were doing rounds on social media; the irony is that educated people do not stop themselves from forwarding such messages even knowing nobody can predict earthquakes.

As we returned to our daily chores, the first aftershock came and again we had to run outside. This time nobody was in their night wears and some women even managed some touch-up. Well, women will be women after all! 

Once I was in office and the moment someone said ‘earthquake’, the whole office was outside. But I was on my seat trying to feel the earthquake, whether it was a real one. As I belong to Assam and earthquakes are quite a common occurrence there, we are too lazy to move out before a major shake.

This time one of my journalist friends messaged sarcastically, ‘hope our boss does not ask us to do a campaign -- Stop earthquake’. Well, journalists will be journalists always.  On a serious note, seismological experts are saying there will be a more aftershocks, especially near the epicentre and after that the magnitude will recede gradually, as this is how the earth reacts after a major shake. Till then hope we all are safe from such tremors and realtors build earthquake-resistant buildings only as it is said earthquakes do not kill people buildings do. And hope there is more awareness about what to do in case of tremors in the future.    

What to see in Shirdi, Mumbai and Goa

Coastal sojourn 
       

   When you think of western India, you cannot escape Shirdi, Mumbai and Goa. We did the same when we planned our first Goa trip, we added Shirdi and Mumbai in our itinerary too. Do read our plan trip at the end

Two years back we missed our Pondicherry trip as we could not confirm our railway tickets till the last moment. So this year, we planned our trip much in advance. First we zeroed in on Goa and then we added Mumbai to our itinerary. Then we thought, if Mumbai why skip Shirdi? We tried to book our train tickets exactly two months in advance but in spite of that, our tickets from Delhi to Shirdi, and Goa to Delhi landed in the waitlist. But as we were in the first 10, we thought no issues. But till the last moment, our position did not move even one seat forward. And on the last day, we were waiting with our bags packed and bated breath for the tickets to give us green signal. Exactly two hours before the train’s departure, we got to know that actually our trip was actually on. By then we were already thinking of alternative destinations. Everybody who knew about our trip were advising us about ‘positive affirmation’ and that if Sai Baba wants, we would definitely go as our first destination was Shirdi.

But we almost missed our train, we thought it was scheduled for 12 noon on the 9th of June but actually it was 12 midnight between 8 and 9. Luckily, we noticed the timing 00:00 hours just hours before and we couldn’t stop laughing. When my mom-in-law heard about it, she too said: ‘How can you not spot 00 hours’. She once missed the train because of the same confusion, so she sounded more cautious now.

At last, we were waiting for our Sai Nagar special train at Nizammuddin station at midnight. The train got little late but it was okay, as at last our journey started. Since it was only a five minutes halt, we caught the train in DDLJ style and our six-year-old son found it very funny. Throughout the journey we got to hear tales of Sai from our co-passengers as how their belief on Baba got stronger. Passing through the ravines of Madhya Pradesh was by itself a riveting experience. As we entered Maharashtra, we passed through banana and sugar cane fields and we got busy showing our son the humble living of villagers. We entered Shirdi dot on time, may be with Baba’s blessings. Though it was 10.30 pm, there was a feeling of safety and there were no touts around. We got an auto and we reached the Maharashtra tourism hotel exactly behind the Sai temple and as luck was on our side, we got a good room too. We did not miss dinner just by few minutes. After a simple vegetarian fare, then we set our alarm clock for 4 am and within seconds we were in deep slumber. We reached the temple premises at 5 am but the queue was already endless, as if people started pouring in since midnight. After two long hours in queue, we had our Sai darshan. Everything was smooth except for a few overenthusiastic devotees who tried to bypass others, the security guards who did not allow us to stand near Baba’s statue even for five seconds, and the pujaris who did not even put our flowers on Baba’s feet. The two days in Shirdi were over-relaxing as we had nothing much to do except for our evening stroll, street food and observing people.

Our next stop was Mumbai and we boarded our train on time. This time, we decided to skip bus journeys as trains are always better and less tiring. Our co-passengers were decent Keralittes and we heaved a sigh of relief. Around 9.30 pm, we thought of slumping into our berths as there was nothing much to do. Suddenly one man came from nowhere and said he had a berth in our compartment. He argued that it’s in the railway rule book that we cannot sleep before 11 pm and we should let him and his friend sit. We protested and told him that he cannot bring an extra passenger even if he has a single berth in a reserved compartment. He tried to raise his voice and give a different logic but we knew we were right so we did not give up and he had to give up his ‘itna to chalta hai’ attitude. Later we got to know that he was without ticket and shifted to a different train with his grumpy face, maybe he faced a protest of this sort for the first time. He surely would remember this for quite some time. It was a small triumph for us and we were all smiling from ear to ear.

In the morning, we moved into a hotel near CST (the hub of Mumbai) but as the check-in, check-out timing was 12 noon, we had to pay for an extra day. The charges were quite high but the room was not even decent. Moving around in Mumbai, unlike in Delhi, is always a smooth and pleasant experience as taxis can be flagged down anywhere, they would seldom refuse passengers and would religiously go by the meter.

 Our Siddhivinayak, Haji Ali darshan was smooth without much crowd. We were disappointed when we reached Gateway of India it was barricaded because of the high tide. We planned a boat ride in the seas like we used to do when we were Mumbaikars a few years back, but everything was closed due to the high tide. As we were walking near the Taj, a huge wave left us all wet, washing away all our tiredness. We had hot tea from a roadside vendor and hopped into a taxi for Girgaum Chowpatty. The sea made me forget all my worries. People from even conventional background were seen soaking their feet, enjoying the waves -- some even bathing, leaving all their tensions behind. Mumbai has two sides like a coin -- one that was in front of us and the other we see in movies.

A lot has changed in Mumbai since we left the city six years back. The Bandra-Worli sea link, flyovers at critical clog points, metro, the long elevated freeway from CST to Chembur and wider roads have made commuting in the congested city much smoother. But it was the swanky new airport that left has awestruck.

Finally, it was destination Goa and I was busy dreaming the Goa scenes that we see in glamorous Bollywood movies. After we reached Madgaon station, we hired a taxi for south Goa. The one-hour journey was breath-taking with greenery all around with beelines of coconut trees and we inhaled as much oxygen as we could. It somehow resembled my home state Assam as the small towns back there have a similar landscape.

My husband then explained me the theory that this region and Assam was once part of the land mass millions of years ago but due to constant changes during the formative stages of earth both the regions got separated, but the climate and landscape remained the same.

After the hotel in Mumbai had left a bad taste, when we climbed up the stairs to our guest house room, we were a little sceptical. As we entered the room, we were left amazed. With a huge balcony and a studio apartment look, it made us more satisfied. The beach was just two-minute walk away and in fast forward mode, we freshened up and headed towards Palolem beach. I could not believe my eyes as we entered the beach. The water was crystal clean along with the beach and there was hardly any crowd. My first question was, ‘Is this Goa?’ My husband smiled and asked ‘Why?’ I said, “The Goa I have seen in movies and heard from friends is supposed to be ‘hot and happening.’” But the place was just the opposite with simple living and helpful people all around and a very few tourists. His simple explanation was: “You have come to enjoy the beach, just do that. We are lucky that not many people have yet explored this place.”

There was a restaurant on the beachside and the waves were rocking its door step. Monsoon was about to strike and the sea was showing its rough side. All sea activities were put to halt so we kept our adventure side to rest till our next visit. We stayed for four days but we never got bored walking on the beach, soaking ourselves or admiring the waves sitting on the sea-facing restaurant. One day while we were walking on the beach, some black sticky sand got stuck on our slippers my husband’s journalistic mind immediately started working. ‘Something is fishy’. Our guest house owner cleared our doubts. It is this time of the year when ships in high sea shed old grease which makes its way to the shores because of the rough waves. And this is why this is considered as an off season.

We also went to old Goa to have a feel of the majestic famous ancient churches of the city and experienced peace of mind sitting inside and admiring the statues of Jesus Christ and Mother Mary. We also went to Colva beach in central Goa which was little crowded and my husband asked me, ‘Are you feeling like Goa now?’ But somehow I liked the beach near our guest house more after the busy noisy Delhi. The free culture in Goa also amazed me, the local people were simple, traditional but were least bothered about what people wear or do and there was no eve teasing, which was so unlike Delhi. On our last day, monsoon struck Goa and it turned into a breezy hill station. We admired the continuous rain through our window panes, switching off our AC and fan. At last it was time to say bye Goa and with heavy hearts we packed our bags with a dream to spend our retirement in this small sleepy town near Palolem beach. No harm in dreaming right? As our return tickets were not confirmed, we again returned to Mumbai by train and from there we then took a flight to Delhi. Mumbai also attracts my husband a lot but I am somehow tired of shifting but can’t say what future has in store for us. At last we were back to hot and burning Delhi and read that monsoon was delayed. Welcome back to the grind!

Our travel plan

When we planned our first Goa trip, we added Mumbai and Shirdi to our itinerary too. We boarded the Sai Nagar special train from Delhi’s Nizammuddin station at midnight. Passing through the ravines of Madhya Pradesh was a riveting experience. In Maharashtra, we crossed banana and sugar cane fields. We reached Shirdi around 10.30 pm the next night. The town had slept by then but there was a feeling of safety despite the emptiness. We took an auto to the Maharashtra Tourism hotel right behind the Sai temple. After a simple vegetarian fare, we went to bed early. If you want to experience the morning aarti, which calms your spirit and mind, you have to enter the temple before 4 am.

For the palki procession, you have to stay in Shirdi on a Thursday. During his last years, Sai Baba used to spend alternate nights at Chavadi, near Dwarkamai mosque, from where the palki procession of Sai Baba along with his followers was carried out. The procession happens even today on every Thursday.

When in Shirdi, you can also visit the Shani Shingnapur mandir, around 65 km away, by bus or taxi. Interestingly, this village has no doors in any of the houses or shops. People here believe that their Lord Shaneshwar is always present, protecting them from all the evils.

The Sai Heritage Village in Shirdi showcases the major events that took place during Sai Baba's lifetime in the form of statues.

Our next stop was Mumbai and we took a train from Shirdi. In the morning, we moved into a hotel near CST Station (the hub of Mumbai), which was rather expensive. There are cheaper ones if you look around near Dadar and other places. Moving around in Mumbai is always a smooth and a pleasant experience as taxis can be flagged down anywhere, and they would religiously go by the meter.

Our Siddhivinayak, Haji Ali darshan was smooth. We were disappointed when we reached Gateway of India as it was barricaded because of the high tide. If there is low tide, you can plan a boat ride in the seas nearby. Walking near the Taj or riding a horse tanga is an amazing experience. We had piping hot tea from a roadside vendor and hopped into a taxi for Girgaum Chowpatty.

 

The Bandra-Worli sea link, flyovers at critical clog points, metro, the long elevated freeway from CST to Chembur and wider roads have made commuting much smoother. The airport also has a swanky look.

Our stay in Mumbai this time was short as we had already lived in the city for three years. There are many places to visit in the dream city: some of them are Marine Drive, Essel World, Elephanta Caves, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, etc.

 

Finally, it was destination Goa. We reached Madgaon (Margao) station by train, which was very clean, and hired a taxi for Palolem in south Goa, where we had booked an apartment at a guest house. The one-hour journey was breath-taking with greenery all around.

 

The Palolem beach was just two-minute walk away from our apartment. The beach was spotlessly clean with very few people as we visited in the monsoons.

 

There was a restaurant on the beachside, where we spent the time, glancing at and the waves rocking its door step. We stayed for four days but we never got bored walking on the beach, soaking ourselves or admiring the waves sitting on the sea-facing restaurant.

If you are a party person you should stay in north Goa.

We went to old Goa to have a feel of the majestic famous ancient churches of the city, which include The Basilica of Bom Jesus.    Popularly known as the St. Francis Xavier church, Se Cathedral, church of St. Francis of Assisi, Catherine's Chapel and Augustine Tower.

 

Then there was the capital of Panjim’s Latin quarter Fontainhas, full of snaky alleys and colourful Portuguese villas with balconies and red-tiled roofs.

 

We went to the Colva beach in central Goa, which was a little crowded, and the famous Mangeshi Temple, which houses Bhagavan Manguesh, an incarnation of Lord Shiva, and the spice market in Margao.

 

Other prominent landmarks in Goa are the Reis Magos Fort, which offers stunning views of the Mandovi river, Calangute, Baga, Agonda and Candolim beaches, Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Church of Our Lady Of Hope, the Saturday Night market, and the local spice and fish markets.

The milky Dudhsagar Falls on the Mandovi River is 60 km from Panaji by road and a must visit.

On our last day, heavy rains hit Goa and it turned into a breezy, cold hill station. We returned to Mumbai by train and from there took a flight to Delhi.

 

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