The rupee is falling,everybody knows!Maybe ,to keep up I fell down too and how! Pride goes before a fall they say. I beg to differ! My take, from experience, is that an obstruction in your path goes before a fall! A carelessly discarded banana peel can also be the starting point!
Just the other day, my bitter better half and I were hurrying to keep a lunch appointment at almost tea-time! Having got off the bus, we quickened our pace and somewhere along the road, he crossed to the other pavement while I continued on the same side. Suddenly, I found the pavement ahead bereft of the teeming millions. Why cannot we have pavements and roads like we saw all over Europe,I asked myself! Well-laid,garbage-free,with slopes so good that even after a heavy downpour,there is scarcely a puddle to show for it! We are constantly avoiding potholes,loose pavement blocks that slip off under our feet and mounds of litter ! On my recent holiday in Europe, I loved the long strides we would take on our walks and since our return, I missed the length in the stride as there were too many people in the way.
I believe in making hay while the sun shines and so, promptly lengthened my stride and began to enjoy it. The satisfaction was however cut short rudely as my foot hit something and before I knew it, catapulted me a few yards away with great force! I am normally very squeamish about the surrounding dirt and finicky about cleanliness. So imagine my horror when I found myself sprawled on the wet dirty pavement kissing the dirt of all the feet that had passed by! Try as I did, I could not get off the pavement. In no time I had a very sympathetic audience around me, speculating about why I chose to drape myself like a carpet over the pavement. I raised my head feebly and indicated that I would like to rise. Promptly one bystander tried to lift all of me off the ground but realised I was more than what he had bargained for! Soon another pair of hands joined him and I was brought to my feet in a trice. Within seconds, a chair was brought and they put me in it. Another good Samaritan brought me a glass of water which being the fussy me, I declined politely. Yet another held an umbrella over my head to shield me from the rain. Through all this I wondered where my Lord and master was. I finally located him some 200 yards further on, striding fast towards our destination! As he reached the gate of our host’s building, he turned back and was perplexed to see me holding a janta darbar on the pavement in the rain with a motley collection of people around me. He was about to go into the building when my frantic wave attracted his attention. He then realised I was in trouble and hastened back to where I was. When he saw me all covered with slush and mud and in obvious pain, he understood what had happened. He took charge and after thanking my good Samaritans, I hobbled off slowly towards our delayed lunch. It pays to be on the fat side I realised. I mercifully got off with grazed knees and palms with no teeth or bones broken!
The lesson I learnt however, was that Mumbai has a heart and if you fall, you can rest assured you will bask in the warmth and attention from unknown people! After the initial embarrassment I enjoyed every bit of the fuss and goodwill showered on me by my fellow Mumbaikars. Where else can you hope to see this camaraderie between total strangers elsewhere in the world? However,I still dream of clean roads and cleaner pavements! What bliss to walk on such well-paved roads!Municipality,are you listening?
