Local lo baat

"Aaj nahi milegi 9:31". People will find it hard to understand this statement. No, not because it is in hinglish but because it is closely related to Aapli Local from Aamchi Mumbai. When the world is driven by the principle of Time Is Money we Mumbaikars have no option but to believe that Time Is Everything. The suburban railway network (local trains) is one big reason behind we believing so.

Mumbai - "the city that never sleeps",  "the city in the fast lane", "the city where you craft your dreams to reality". Yes, all this is true and justified for Mumbai. And again we Mumbaikars can thank the local trains for playing a big role in making Mumbai what it is. Above all, what local trains have given us is a unique lifestyle. A pacy, stick to the schedule, go anywhere anytime lifestyle that almost every single Mumbaikar gets to experience at some point of time. But like every lifestyle, this too has left some ill effects on everyone.

Rushing - "jaldi karo bhai". If you just walked in to this bustling metropolis, you are bound to experience a sudden acceleration and find yourself running out of fuel on a daily basis. One wrong step and a rude question "naya hai kya?" will be coming your way. So watch your clock and your steps.

Pushing - in local trains, get used to being pushed and dashed. You can't board even an empty 'Dabba'(bogey) without pushing. If you hesitate to push you sure will be adjudged as a newbee and will apparently become a cast out. You can surely expect people to be helpful. But only after they are done with uploading there share of information which most probably will be of no use to you.

Arguing - it becomes but necessary to react to someone or something in an aggressive manner when you are rushing all the time and pushing everyone. A sorry after a push in a rush receives "andha hai kya?" in reply. Then "andha kisko bola be" becomes a mere formality.

Adjusting - it is one thing that comes handy when its messy most of the times. A request for 4th seat, "bhai thoda khiskoge?" is a great probability if you are third person on the seat and seating comfortable. "Agar aaram se rehna hai to first class se jao", that actually means you have no right to feel comfortable even in an empty rake, pls make yourself uncomfortable. And then you got to adjust to the people boarding the train before you even start getting down. Going against the flow has no better example. Let the passengers alight first instruction isn't relevant and you got to adjust to it.

That is not all but not all is that and there surely is a brighter side. When Mumbai breathes it is the local train that pumps the oxygen in it. It has come a long way since it first chugged on 16 April 1953 at 3:35 pm IST. The people too have come a long way with it. The city from Bombay to Mumbai has always found a great companion in Suburban Railway Network. And there's a long way to go for this partnership and the people. I will end this with one last suggestion to all the Mumbaikars, " don't rush, don't push, don't argue or adjust. Ek gai to dusri milegi na bhai".