Green & bear it

When I was younger,I remember,I would declare proudly that if I had to live in India,it would have to be in Bombay...

When I was younger,I remember,I would declare proudly that if I had to live in India,it would have to be in Bombay,as though no other city in the country was quite so worthy of me. Bombay had the lure of glamour,opportunity,an exciting and modern lifestyle that the other towns and sort-of-cities didnt then. My parents,faujis straight out of the countrys cantonments,thought they had made the ultimate transition to modernity and progress,and transported my brother and me to this electrifying idea of Bombay over two decades ago. What they didnt realise then was that having a Borivli,of the 1980s too,in their address was far from electrifying. The East in front of it took away any lingering hope of redemption.

After well over 20 years,Borivli remains one of those places that elicits a curious reaction,one that says,Why? Why are you there? Its because I love the environment,I say self-righteously. In todays PC green-speak where saving the planet from ourselves is the noblest mission of our times,its a fairly good response. Never mind the fact that in the 1980s there was not one decent road,where I was,connecting us to civilisation,and we had to seek lifts in quarrying trucks during medical emergencies. But I like to smooth over those unpleasant details to say how Borivli was then comfortably nestled in the hills. It draws out all the right sounds from people whove never been beyond Andheri.

Just the other day,a friend,who has lived in the city longer than I have,made her first trip to Borivli,and exclaimed: There are a lot of people in Borivli. I think I caught a hint of sympathy in her tone. Or perhaps she didnt think there was much else there besides National Parks scrawny wildlife. Yes,it has developed rapidly,I say proudly. From no roads to some 20 people chasing one terrified auto guy,well,Borivli has become fairly err exciting.

Ive often wondered about Borivlis quality of distance. Ask a friend to come down,and the usual response is: Its really far. Why dont you come here? I dont know how that works. Is the distance between Bandra and Borivli greater than from Borivli to Bandra? Ive never quite worked that one out.

There are,however,some very important advantages to living in Borivli,as some of my more considerate friends point out; its easy to get in and out of trains. Thats it. I knew I was missing something. That is the most definitive aspect of our lives. Who wants a Dominos around the corner when you can get out of the trains easily,eh?

And then,of course,theres the National Park,which on Sundays sees three-player cricket matches,cheery picnickers gorging on an undying supply of chutney sandwiches,theplas and khakras,and the silent,gazing (bored?) couples.

For all else,there is Bandra and Inorbit. And as if to feel better,every once in a while,I meet someone from Vasai,and say,Oh darling,that must be far.

(sadhvisharma@gmail.com)

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