Low Budget Road Trip

The Sun was high. The wind was windy and the sea was warm. And we navigated from Mumbai to Bombay, South Bombay. The tip of the city, where life is still cool and chilled out.

It was a low budget road trip, infact a No-Budget-Road-Trip.

I spent 2 years of my life in Bombay staying in Marine Lines, which is 5 minutes walking from one of the world’s busiest beach, Marine Drive and 15 mins from one of the costliest land Nariman Point. It was a paradise.

I always missed my life in the town* after shifting to the dark world of Andheri. My roommate who is a South Bombay fanatic got his Activa from his hometown a couple of months back.

And one day when frustration level was too high in my apartment because one producer refused to pay me, we decided to just go sailing to Marine drive on our Activa from Lokhandwala, our current residence.

It was a Sunday, perfect for a road trip. After an afternoon siesta and then a couple of drinks of tea, we left.

The roads were empty and signals were more than happy to let us go. Otherwise Bombay traffic is hell. The moment we crossed Juhu Beach the feeling started sinking in. I have been to town* from Andheri some 100 times but this time it was different. This time it’s not work but a made up road trip. I don’t know how many restaurants, cafe, shops and life in Bombay as a whole I saw and observed. I never knew all this existed. There was this cinema hall called.... which came in between, beautifully made.

We reached the destination in One hour. Nariman Point was busy, damn busy. Couples, grandpa-ma’s, family, friends. We managed to catch the sunset there. I spotted a boat, a reflection of it, far in the sea, sailing like anything. The feeling was mutual.

From there we sailed along marine drive and reached the shadiest and the coolest bar of the town. #Sunlight. A place which plays all kinds of songs, loud enough. A couple of drinks of Romanov and we hit the road again.

Romanov showed its effects on Ambrish. His slow riding was making the Activa dance. Moving all the way from Xavier’s College, then Victoria Terminus & Jahangir Art Gallery we reached Colaba Causeway.

With so much to offer Causeway tempts you as a newlywed bride. But I could only afford a cheap print of Jhumpa Lahri’s The Lowdown. The return gift of this road trip.

Till the time we were at Gateway of India it was eleven but the town was still buzzing with people. As if all they had is this day to live.

We were back on the road to Andheri around midnight. Luckily the roads were totally free from the chaos then. From Peddar road and then Senapati Bridge we could sense the mad wind.

A road trip which began with tea sips has to end with tea sips. So we took a halt at Dadar. Till that time the night hawkers of Bombay were out.   

The trip was small. It was not even a road trip but I assumed it to be and made myself happy. The next one to marine drive will be in the morning. Around 5’o clock. I want to see the sunrise there.

*Town in Bombay refers to South Bombay