'Mee Mumbaikar' or 'Meech Mumbaikar'???

I have been out of home for almost two years now. Like most ex-patriots, if I may call myself that, I have been a part of a small group of people from my hometown. Not that we do not have friends outside these few, we certainly do, but yes, we do cling on to each other as we have a lot in common, in terms of our expectations and problems staying away from home.

Almost all of us have some time or the other experienced, to some degree or the other have been at the receiving end of step motherly treatment just because we are not natives.
Our experiences have been as diverse as can be. Some luckier people have just had to bear the frustration of rickshaw drivers and bus conductors.

The worst affected have been those who have their own vehicles. Without any exception, all of them have ended up in an argument with another driver, which is quite a routine when in traffic. What has been sad though is that if you end up having an argument with a native, the main reason for the conflict is left aside and it becomes a war of natives vs non-natives. They bluntly ask the question, “tum kaunse gaun kaa???”(which town do you belong to).
This is puzzling.

There is the sentiment amongst the locals that we actually come over and snatch a bite of their food from their own plate. Stories of maids asking for a raise with a justification that, “aapko bhi toh mil raha hai naa”(even you are earning, so…). If you have not heard these stories earlier, they may seem bizarre, but they are quite truly, a reality.

What these people do not realize is that when people come into the city they give rise to a lot of businesses. They live in rented houses, eateries do a lot of business, transporters, both organized and unorganized. Instead of being thankful to the direct beneficial fall out of the influx of people into the city, they feel an uncanny hatred towards the “non-natives”. Extremists carry out kidnappings, commit brutal murders, where money is not the motive but to spread fear in the minds of the non-locals.

The government also exploits this sentiment through gimmicks like blaming a person of the stature of NRN of not doing anything for the common man.
Such a shameless thing to do! Being in the government themselves and expecting a person from the private sector to work for the welfare for the people.

The irony being the fact that foreigners, namely people with a different nationality are not treated this way.

We used to find solace in the fact that, “Amchi Mumbai ashi nave!!!”(Our Mumbai is not like this). We would tell each other stories of how we grew up with very few Maharashtrian friends. We believed Mumbai is as much theirs as it is ours. Mumbai’s biggest strength has been its accommodating nature. Mumbai has always been proud of bring able to provide means of livelihood to one and all which is one important aspect of what we call the spirit of Mumbai!

After witnessing on television, the way the issue of non-natives in Mumbai was politicized by a local party raised a doubt in all our minds. We felt extremely sad and somewhere deep down in our hearts, we all cried, “Aapli Mumbai kadhich ashi navati!” (Our Mumbai was never like this before)

Foot in mouth. Thats my thing!

It is not always that you get a chance to meet long lost friends and that too get invited over for dinner. And when they do, how many of us actually come out totally embarrassed??? Well, I do.

I had to travel for work a lot lately. On one such travel, I was invited for dinner by an old friend to her apartment. It was an all girls apartment. After exchanging the routine pleasantries we all got talking, catching up on a lot of stuff which I had not got an opportunity to do for quite some time.

I do not remember how exactly, but the topic of discussion moved towards driving. Yours truly, absolutely regardless of the fact that I am in a girl’s apartment blurted out my opinion on women drivers. Without mincing any words, I said, “Women are horrible drivers!”

Quite a few eyebrows were raised and there was a bit of silence for a moment. I thought the male chauvinist in me had hurt the sentiments of the women of today. I had no intention what so ever to do that. It was actually a hangover of car ride with a friend that morning which had resulted in a small accident with a car driven by a woman. Helplessly my friend had yelled, “WHY DO PEOPLE ALLOW WOMEN TO DRIVE???”
One of the hosts then broke the silence and said, “o…is it??? Then we drop the plan to drop you home tonight”

I didn’t know that one of them actually owns a car, drives and they all have a plan to drop me home. I also wasn’t aware that the city had commutation problems once it gets late. You may actually grant me the benefit of doubt for this statement but certainly not for what I did after that.

These girls were greats hosts and in spite of my thoughtless remark came to drop me home as it was late.

As we sat in the car, the girl who owned the car said, “Horrible driving is it??? Now you will get to see some of it!!!”

I could have just laughed it off.
But how could I???
Foot in mouth has been my thing!

I opened my mouth to utter what was nothing short of an icing on the cake. I said, “No no…you guys are ok on such empty roads.”
For the moment everyone laughed and I realized what I had just said.

I have not met that girl after that and I do not know what I will say if I do end up bumping into her again somewhere. I should probably just keep quite.