Barish ka Mausam…..Mumbai mein bahot kuch badal deta hai, pani bhar jana, train – bus miss hona, late hona, traffic mein wait karte karte login karne ka last chance nikal jana…

Wapas ghar jane ke time pe aksar office mein der raat tak bethana acha lagta hai, traffic khatam hote hote barish apne aap se jor pakadne lagti hai – jaise kishine permission de di ho .. ab barso!!

Mumbai ke khali sadko par baraste hue barish mein jo tumhe sahi salamat ghar pohacha sakta hai…….waisa ek hi shakhs hai…

Mumbai ke taxi wale bhaiya …. Der raat bina nautanki kiye .. South Bombay mein sthit office se western suburb wale ghar tak pohchane wale…

Unlike other cities I have lived in … this community returns all the change, over and beyond the meter reading … even the one and two rupees..they actually call you back in case you forget to take it from them and return the same to you.

Inki Taxi apne app mein ek alag hi duniya hoti hai…

Fiat company ka model.. Premier Padmini… mano company ne yeah gadi taxi banane ke liye hi design ke ho…

Piche wale seats pe water proof soft black seat covers, jaha seat belt wala siyapa kabhi dekha nahi… third seat bina piche kuch chube aramse se bich mein bet safar kar leta tha… taxi ke darwaje mein handle-sari ka handle hota tha … chocolate wrapper jaha pe tum stash nahi kar sakte the… darwaje ki khidki humesha saaf… pata nahi konsa solutions lagte the par barish ke bhoonde hamesha dhire niche aati hai… unhe dekhna bada acha lagta tha, pata nahi kyu .. kya khete hai aj kaal “oddly satisfying”

Waise toh barish ke season mein taxi ki khidaki humesa band rehti hai par kabhi koi khush mijaaj yaatri thodi si khidaki khol deta hai.. baas utni hi jahase thodi si thandi hawa aur barish ki mehek ander aa sake…

Aksar us mehek ke saath thodi si awara si besharam bhoonde aandar bethehue us khush mijaaj yaarti ka chehra chum leti hai…

Is chote se taxi wali duniya mein har woh banda jo aandar hota hai … ek ajeeb sa sukun mehsoos karta hai… jaise ye saara manjar uska apna “me time” ho… bahar wali barish aur taxi ki khidki pe, piche wali glass pe girti hue bhoonde … ek barrier sa ban jata hai..

Bahar uthne wale toofan aur aandar sukunwali khamoshi ke beech.

Kabhi taxi wale bhaiya poorane jamane ke gaane chala dete hai, rafi, kishor, wale shant se…  muzhe lagta hai taxi wale bhaiya ke pass super power hoti hai… he exactly knows when he should talk and when he shouldn’t, when he should play songs, when he should let you smoke, you ask him to take you to a food joint and he would exactly know where to take you… he will never ask too many questions or chat unnecessarily.

Kabhi woh unke jindagi ke kise bhi suna dete hai.. kafi majedar hota hai kisi aur passengers ke kisse sunna, jaise koi web series chal rahi ho… aur aksar kisi aur ki kahani sunte sunte apni tension, apni thakan kab khatam ho jati hai pata hi nahi chalta..

Ek aur super power hoti hai inke pass… aap ke ek baar address bolne pe who apko apke building ke bahar tak pohcha dete hai.

Jab Mumbai mein Ola – Uber ke funde nahi the … toh yehi farishte hume mushkil dino mein ghar pocha dete the…

Un barish wali highway mein jab airport najdik ata tha, tab shayad upar se jaane wale havaee jahaj ke awaj se need khul jati thi, par other than that I don’t really remember ever experiencing a bumpy ride on Mumbai roads which even then were filled with potholes. Shayad inhe sare potholes ke locations yaad hogaye the…

Un sumsaan der raat wale western express highway mein us jamane mein siway divider wale lamppost ke, aur koi light nahi hua karta tha.. Hum aandar bhete apne sir backseat ke head rest pe tikake piche jane wale lamppost jinte aur taxi wale bhaiya apni taxi shanti se bina speeding ki nautanki kiye .. hume apni manzil tak pocha dete.

Aeise farishte shayad hi kisi aur jaga dekhne milte hai… un sare faristoh ko ek purane Mumbaikar ka salaam