Chasing Sunrises
When I was a student, I invited a boyfriend to share a romantic sunrise on the beach with me. I always liked the cleanness of mornings. In Mumbai, it starts early but it’s still sparse enough for every waking creature to give the other space, physical and emotional. Mornings are the closest to peaceful richness (as opposed to the exhausted incompletion of late nights). And beaches have always felt like home.
We sat on the sand and talked and waited. It was nearly 9am when the prickling on the back of my neck made me turn around. There was the sun behind us, high above buildings. I realised, feeling very foolish, that Mumbai is on the western coast of the country. The sun doesn’t rise over the sea in Mumbai; it sets.
Sunsets are a reminder of things unfinished, an alarm bell that it’s getting late, the mosquitoes start biting and traffic piling up. I didn’t enjoy sunsets. It bothered me for a long time after that my favourite time and favorite place didn’t coincide.
Over the next few years, I fell into the Mumbaiker rhythm of chasing jobs, deadlines and corporate goals. I spent my favorite part of the day in crowded trains, busy roads, bustling lanes. I was able to visit my favorite place rarely if ever, and only amid a lot of crowd with the residual noise & garbage.
I have since started making an effort to visit the beach more often. I’ve learnt to tune out noise, managed to make these solo trips in safety and minimal intrusion. They’re never in the early morning.
But then, I also found beauty in the fresh sunlight on a broken window pane. I found inspiration on day breaking over a defunct textile mill. Sunrises are great wherever they happen because they signal a fresh start. Wherever you are, whoever you are. It made me realise sunsets aren’t sad. The sun must set if it is to rise again.
And you know both sunsets and sunrises are illusions, tricks of light & planetary movement. The sun isn’t going anywhere. We are. And it’s never too far away. Just a few hours from the next sunrise or sunset.
It makes me appreciative of my island city, just the way it is.
A later version of this post was turned into a podcast here:
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You know when I was in the city, walked in the morning sunshine at Marine Drive and evenings too. Such beauty admiring the views and letting the energy flow. I hope things get better and we are able to travel. Can’t wait to be back in the city. You’ve painted a visual image of Mumbai, the island city and its sheer beauty.
@vishalllbheeroo: Thank you, Vishal. Mumbai was and remains my sole inspiration, home and muse.
Same pinch! No matter where I am, Mumbai and Pune will always be home! Mumbai plays such a huge part in my writings! The lockdown played a villain n was supposed to be in the city!
True. The day I heard about Mumbai trains stopping broke my heart. The Mumbai train line didn’t stop during the Kasab attacks, or the 2005 floods or the 90s bomb blasts or terror attacks. But corona took us all down.
It did and how! All it took was a virus to stop the dock of life and terrorism attacks or monsoons never dampened the mood of Mumbaikars!