Mumbai

Handcrafted

When effort surpasses reality, the picture isn’t one of suffering—it’s one of progress.

Look closely, and life isn’t just about enduring; it’s about adapting, creating, pushing forward. The human spirit isn’t wired for defeat—it is built to survive and overcome.

Seen this way, suffering takes a backseat to resilience, and struggle reveals itself as transformation.

In markets, “handcrafted” is a premium label, reserved for the unique and the carefully made. But for millions, handcrafting life is not a choice—it’s everyday survival.

Effort, persistence, and the refusal to give in—that’s the real handmade story.

Mumbai’s Rain: A City of Anticipation and MagicFocus

There’s something about Mumbai when it rains. The city slows, just a little. The streets glisten. The sea looks alive. But there’s also something about Mumbai when it waits for rain. The air is thick with hope. The sky teases with grey clouds. People glance up, waiting.

Anticipation fills the city.

And when the first drop falls, it feels like Mumbai breathes again.

The wait makes the rain sweeter.

That’s Mumbai—a city of moments.There is something to Mumbai when it rains. There is something to Mumbai when it expects the rain!

Coffee and Conversations: Wisdom in Every Sip

My dad always said, “Coffee drinkers are better thinkers.” He was a wise man. I’ve never had a reason to doubt him.

These days, “Coffee?” is the answer to everything.

Questions, answers, problems—it doesn’t matter. Coffee solves it all. Especially in Mumbai. The city hums with its energy, fuelled by endless cups.

Maybe it’s the caffeine. Or maybe coffee is just a great excuse to pause, talk, and think.

Either way, I’m not arguing. Coffee?

Dusk: Where Life Thrives

When the sun goes down, the world comes alive. Dusk isn’t just an end—it’s an in-between space, a pause for change.

It’s a time when life thrives, not in isolation, but in togetherness. Birds return home, conversations linger, and the air hums with quiet energy.

Dusk reminds us that change doesn’t have to be loud. It can be gentle, steady, and full of connection. It’s a space where the day and night meet, creating something beautifully alive.

A Good Life: Finding Freedom Beyond Comfort

A good life is many things. Friends. Family. A roof above to keep you safe.

But sometimes, that very roof brings walls with it. And walls can become a cage.

Look at the rabbits in a zoo. They have food, shelter, and safety. Yet, behind those bars, do they feel free?

It makes you wonder—what’s the balance between comfort and freedom? Between safety and truly living?

A good life isn’t just about what you have. It’s about how you feel. Free to roam. Free to dream. Free to be.

Sometimes, we need to step outside the cages we build for ourselves. Even if they look like homes.

Chaos, Order, and the Mind’s Eye

Chaos and order aren’t about what we see—they’re about how we see. A neatly stacked pile eventually topples. A tangled mess, given time, reveals its own quiet logic.

The most structured plan can unravel in seconds. The most chaotic moment can, strangely, feel just right. Maybe order is just a matter of patience, and chaos, a test of perspective.

Look closer. Beyond the clutter, beyond the randomness—there’s always a pattern waiting to be noticed.

The Rajabai Tower: When Timekeeping Became a Monument to Love

Some build monuments to power. Others, to love. Premchand Roychand, a wealthy businessman, built the Rajabai Tower for something both grand and simple—to help his blind mother keep time.

Modelled after Big Ben, its chimes once echoed across Mumbai, guiding her through the day. A full-fledged clock tower just so a mother could tell time—now that’s devotion on another level.

He must have been some man. And she, some mother.

Centuries later, the tower still stands. A reminder that love, like time, leaves its mark.

Where Does the Sea Begin? A Child’s Questions at Marine Drive

We sit by the sea, watching its endless waves. She sits beside me, tossing questions like pebbles into the water.

“Where does the sea begin and where does it end?”
“Can we build a new sea?”
“If we can’t build a new sea, then we must take care of this one, right?”

I nod. She’s here for answers. I came here for the breeze. But she’s stirring up a storm.

Somewhere, I hope the right men and women are listening. Because the sea has no voice—except for those who ask the right questions.

 (at Marine Drive Mumbai)

Life Throws the Ball—Are You Ready to Catch It?

Life keeps throwing balls our way. Some fast, some slow. Some expected, others completely out of nowhere.

The real question isn’t what comes our way—but how ready we are to catch it.

We don’t get to choose the speed, angle, or height of life’s throws. But we do get to choose our readiness—to react, adapt, and take every catch that matters.

Because in the end, catches win matches. And in life, being ready makes all the difference.

Are you ready?

When Cities Blur: Mumbai’s Identity Beyond the Skyline

Some cities wear their identities like a badge—loud, proud, unmistakable. Others, like Mumbai, let their identity shift, stretch, and sometimes, slip under a cloud. Quite literally.

The monsoon clouds roll in, heavy and unrelenting, swallowing the skyline, softening the sharp edges of glass and steel. The city remains, but its form blurs. For a moment, Mumbai is just a mood—grey, unpredictable, alive in its own way.

But beyond the clouds, beyond the physical skyline, lies the real Mumbai. The one that isn’t just its landmarks or its traffic-clogged veins, but its pulse—its people, its stories, its sheer resilience. The city rebuilds, reinvents, recovers—sometimes from floods, sometimes from its own exhaustion.

The Bandra-Worli Sea Link, a symbol of ambition cutting through the Arabian Sea, often vanishes into the mist. And yet, the traffic still flows, the bridges still hold. That’s Mumbai for you—moving forward even when the road ahead is unclear.

Maybe cities, like people, need their cloudy moments. To pause. To let go of rigid definitions. To rediscover what lies beneath the obvious.

Because identity isn’t just about what is seen. It’s also about what endures.