I get into the subway mode
That starts from the station
And reaches me across the road.
A sweeper moves across the stair,
A new hoarding is hanging up above
They thought I wouldn’t escape it,
Reading Ads where I shouldn’t care.
I walk further down the subway
It’s got a ceiling far too low
Makes me aware of my own height
I continue to walk..I heave a sigh!
I see some foreigners in ethnic dresses
Searching, following, exploring faces,
The fad for jholas slung across the shoulders
Mismatch in time, culture and spaces.
Then the smell of idlis-sambhar and dosas
out-of-nowhere it gets into your head,
With oil and batter they make samosas,
to be had with paav-the Indian bread.
Love it or hate it
You can’t ignore it
This subway has it all.
a common man's wonder mall.
It serves you with some quick fixes,
Chargers, ties , pen drives, Bata boots and umbrellas...
If you need something urgent, you can buy it here
Don’t you forget to bargain with those fellas!
In evening when the waves turn around
It gets a little crazier than this
They want you take home
fancy stuff for your kids:
Mosquito bats, electronic toys
lights, sounds and everything!
It’s a miniature of how this city Mumbai works,
Keep moving and pay for time.
Distance
is always measured in minutes.
We lose some we gain some,
but to give up is just not fine.
