Seashells

    Bombay is evolving,  Oh, it is Mumbai now! It already has.  I see little elves walking on the stones that they laid, Trucks dumping earth on the seabed. Decades ago, there was water where I live today. Dad and his friends also grew up on this coast They swam to kill time.    When the sea hit hard, they feared.  When the sea hits hard, we no more fear, Mankind envies concrete jungles.   My children will only hear stories and see pictures. Will they be able to sit by the sea? It is like your favourite season of the year. Gushing winds and stormy days. Roaring waves and conch shelled coasts, Hues of the sun, remains of the day!   How do I vocalize?  Watching coconut trees swaying on full moon nights,  Shoals of fish in the water when looked at closely, Flocks of white migratory birds during December mornings!   My grandfather sailed his way to this city,  Fruits of his labour, we devour today. Legacy gave us houses and th...

When in school, the earliest memory of hanging out with friends began roughly when we were in 6th or 7th grade. The only feasible place was Mcdonalds and the potato they serve. We would take cabs after school to Sobo Central to devour french fries. With time, our obsession for Mcdonalds knew no boundaries. All my favourite people have eaten fries with me, at least once. (Not even exaggerating).    My association with potatoes goes way back. Definitely after we started going to McDonald's during school days but even before high school you know. It was when a friend had hit puberty and started to have prominent acne. How easy was it to nickname her a potato mainly because she had a round face with some serious teenage issues.  Bullying just passes as any other thing during years of schooling but the mark remains etched in your heart. Growing up, I was extremely cautious about my skin colour. Though nobody actually bullied me, my best friends called me "Black beauty". I wond...