City146;s edge

When I am in Pune and go to a function of the Pune Music Society one evening to watch what turns out to be a hilarious film by the classical musician turned comedian Victor Borg, who do I meet but my friend Fareed who has come to Pune specially for the show. He tells me that he will sleep over at the Turf Club and drive down to Mumbai next morning in time for work.

My good friend Gita who is an architect in Pune says that she drops by to her office at New Mumbai from time to time and returns to Pune. She says she still does not come into South Mumbai because of the traffic. But I suppose she would, if there was a need.

It is possible to drive down to Mumbai from Pune early on a Monday morning after a weekend and reach one8217;s office by 10 o8217;clock. And I have noticed that Pune is slowly changing, though Pune8217;s shops still remain closed between 2 pm and 4 pm.

In his magnum opus, The Golden Gate, Vikram Seth writes about the 8220;striking sounds of Liquid Sheep which rouse distant suburbs from their sleep8221;. That8217;s about right. Pune is becoming a distant suburb of Mumbai.