Walk on...

Resolute about getting out of the oh-so-normal world of his, he wanted to see the city differently. He had seen enough of the same old village boy go to Bombay films..live at dharavi.....become a filmstar...overnight stardom....songs around the bushes and the same old story.

He wanted to do something different and also differently. Even if it is for the sake of it.
In half annoyance of the repetitiveness of living, and half excitement of having stepped on the mecca of chaos, he decided to just keep walking till his legs gave up. The clutter, the chaos, and the discipline in madness was like a stimuli to his energy levels.

Just like the Forst Gump...he kept walking....straight down south from the Victoria Terminus where his train had arrived. Up the hand cart, down the garbage heap....over the steps, below the sheds. He just kept walking as if the chaos would turn itself into his boring life again if he stopped.

It wasn’t long before the clouds of pollution lowered themselves over the dusty sunset in the horizon. But how could Gopal stop ?

He kept walking. His mind at peace like never before.
He was almost starting to think that this he had found his ultimate goal in life. To walk in Mumbai. May be its an official profession here he though. Everybody around him seems to be doing that. Some even at a speed faster than him !.

Without a starting, nor a destination. Just walking. Thats Mumbai he thought. About going on. Finding your space. Your goal. The city just lets you be !

The night fell. But Gopal was still walking. It had been 3 hours since he was walking. He had no clue of where he was. But he could feel sand under his feet. Behind him, far away, he read the neon “United service Golf Club”.

Oh my god, his heart stared to palpitate. From what he had read once in college, that was the tip of south Mumbai. Then where was he now ?
His geography was poor but he knew that it meant he was supposed to be in sea. But he wasn’t ! He kept walking. A little slow now.

“you want something new – here you are” he told himself. Where was he...was there perhaps a place that has purposely never been marked on maps ?

A place forbidden ? or a place unsecured ? unexplored even ?....was he still dreaming ?.....He kept walking , a little scared though.