Mumbai-aaaaah! Part III:Roll-a-coast-Er!

My third week down, I was much more comfortable with the ‘city of dreams’. I had grown to enjoy the solitary walks at marine drive, the backpacking throughout the city, the breezy rides in the local trains standing by the exit, the occasional rude interjections in my mundane travelling routine when the train was spilling out people, but above all, I had started enjoying Mumbai as a city.

Ahem ahem! I find it imperative to mention here that my age old belief in everything happening for a reason came to be re-instated in my mind, only more vigorous. It so happened that I had nicely come to Mumbai under the wrong impression that all my Mumbai friends would be there, but not even a single one was there (not even the school time pals! Can you imagine? Everyone had to go in those exact weeks?) This made me, like I already said, re-discover myself. And although I whined and sulked in the beginning, but by the end of the 3^rd week, I realized that I probably wouldn’t have had such a time (good or bad) had all of them been there, and I liked what I had gone through. We rarely get opportunities to experience such days.

So anyway, Divi and Ambi had come back by now and we planned a day out. Me and Divi had already spent a day of fulto (is that how you spell it?) masti the previous day and we were all looking forward to the Sunday when we’d go to Essel World (sighhh!. Mistake again!). Mistake why? I’ll tell you why! I went to Essel World with probably the most opposite-minded people ever! On one side I had Miss Crazy: thrilled to risk her life for the fun of going upside down on a ride, and on the other, Miss Chinky (won’t you agree girls? Ambi was looking rather chinky that day!): wouldn’t so much as get close to those rides fearing they’d render her (and all co-riders) infertile (ha ha ha ha..rotfl..it still makes me burst out) but would rather die of a craving for every possible food item available in the entire park (seriously, every 2 minutes ambi!), though she won’t even eat that much! Not that I’m much of a Bond myself!

So there we go to Essel World. Firstly, the wait for the ferry was like eternal. It just refused to come! And on top of that, that place funnily stinks of fish/or prawn/or whatever it is which these two uncongenial companions couldn’t even sense. Then finally we reach the island and look forward to what turned out to be the most excitingly boring day!

The moment we stepped foot in, Divi went crazy for the crazy rides. She wanted an undertaking signed by both of us saying: “we shall not chicken out of any ride and will accompany this crazy freak to ALL the rides”! I mean ALL?! She has to be crazy! Then of course, her love for us and her considerate nature and our excellent bargaining skills brought us down to moderate rides being ridden together and it was conveniently decided that she will have our full support, from a safe distance away from the ride of course, as she plans to risk her staying intact. We wanted a warm-up, so we went on this silly zig-zag going planes. I was made to sit alone for the first one. It was ok!

Then a few more rides and finally Divi reaches her dream ride. The Thunder! And above all, she somehow expected US to go on it with her! Ha ha! Nice one! She kept insisting saying that it goes round only once and you know, the usual crap! Well, little did she know that going upside down is the only thing it does. It must have taken them round like a dozen times. We watched as she went into the darkness and the ride started. And soon enough, I was thanking my lucky starts I hadnt fallen for Divi’s drama (and as it turns, so was she cos she knew very well that had I gone with her on that one, then if I manage to ever get out alive, she won’t!). We watched horrified as she went up n down n up again. It was kinda tough to make out her expression with her franticly moving hair covering her face. But the expressions of the others were worth the sight. Half of them were the crazy breed (you know, the Divi types) who were laughing out and yelling with joy with their bodies vainly protesting by turning red. But the other half made staying out worth it. One could easily make out that half of that half were already seeing flashes of their entire life while the other half was clinging to the hope of god getting them out alive. It seemed to last forever. And after that, when divi came, she was walking zigzag and yet beaming! (Crazy I tell you!)

Then came the best experience. We sat on this particular ride which again had some sort of planes going crazy and I sat with Ambi. The ride started and so did she! She must have covered almost all the things which she wants to do before dying, yelling them out at the top of her lungs. And when that didn’t help, she found the best solution in continuously blaming the ride for turning the world infertile and how she would sue them for depriving her of the pleasure of making love if she turned out to be one of it’s victims. You know it’s funny how in life-threatening situations, a person’s true inner desires come out. As it turns out, hers was to get married and produce a battalion of bambus! In the middle of the ride she was even ready to compromise the choice of husband and was trying to barter a good-looking husband in return of her life from her fate!

The rest of the day turned out to be rather uneventful compared to the extreme action that had gone. Of course not to forget, ambi acting drunk n crazy on the crazy cups (they DO work I guess!) and me n Divi making an absolute fool of ourselves on the ice-skating rink while Ambi nicely glided around.

By 4:00 we were so damn bugged that we decided to call it a day (already!), went back and the last sight which all the others on the ferry must have seen was three idiots sleeping away to glory in bright afternoon as the rest enjoyed the nice cut through the sea!