Take2: Can you ever really leave Mumbai?

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Can you ever really leave Mumbai? 

A city girl navigates the eternal pull of Mumbai's chaos and charm.


A couple of months ago, a friend told me, "I would go back to the city I was born in, anytime because I don't think I am made for the Mumbai life." I found his comments quite amusing because, for an always-city girl like me, I couldn't fathom someone thinking of shifting away from the city of dreams. But it's their choice, and I am pro-choice (in this context).

I don’t think I can imagine living in a small city. I bet it’s filled with its own perks and limitations. Yet, every time I visited my grandfather’s town as a child, the tranquillity in the air made me petrified. Deep down, I realized that I found some comfort in the hustle and bustle of the city.

With that being said, there have been times when Mumbai has made me feel, "Maybe I should leave it for good." These moments were mostly about running away from people. But somehow, the city found ways to bring me back again and again. After school, I told my parents, "I don’t want to live here (Mumbai) anymore."

Life, however, had other plans. Funnily enough:

  • I got into a college… IN MUMBAI.

  • I got into a postgraduate college… IN MUMBAI.

  • I got a job… IN MUMBAI.

The people? They seamlessly disappeared into the crowd. And honestly, I’m glad that happened.

I often wonder about my family and friends who’ve shifted to smaller towns or state capitals. How do they vibe with the crowd? Was it a completely seamless experience, without yearning for "like-minded people"? Or was the "silence in the air" too jarring for them?

You can take a man out of Mumbai, but you can’t take Mumbai out of a man. A lot of people I know are finding ways to come back to the city or live in it only through nostalgia. They fondly remember how they used to wear clothes for themselves and their comfort, not to please others. They recall how people valued each other’s time and efforts (just a few notes I made on people). 

Only a small fraction of friends and family I know have left the city for good. They’ve found peace in quieter towns where they can figure life out, be themselves, and take things slowly.

“I can do things at my own time, at my own pace,” says a woman in her late 20s who grew up in Mumbai but left the city for personal reasons.

“Will you ever be coming back?” I ask her. She politely replies, “No plans as of yet.”

Bonding with people over local train commutes and reminiscing about everything Mumbai has to offer often makes me wonder:

Can you ever really leave Mumbai?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Huzzah!

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