(Narrative form)
Planning for the trip had started months before, but it always felt like things were falling apart. Every time we thought we had a solid plan, it collapsed. However, on that one day, completely out of the blue, we decided to take a sudden trip to Mumbai. Simply the idea was to explore the city, but more importantly, visit Harihar Fort which is four hours away from Mumbai. It is for its nearly 80-degree incline and narrow stone steps leading to the peak. It is a challenging climb, but that only made us more excited. The thrill of such an adventure was what we needed exactly.
First of all there were six of us planning to go. As plans go on number of people started reducing and soon ended as three of us: me, Sreenand and Gautham. Still, we were determined to make it happen. We booked our tickets for a 19-hour train journey that would take us from Kerala to Mumbai. This wasn’t going to be just any regular train ride because we were excited about the experiences waiting for us on the train itself, meeting different kinds of people and trying out various foods in the train. We reached Mumbai on time, and that’s when the first real task began finding a place to stay.
After a bit of searching, we met a man from kerala who had settled in Mumbai. He happily helped us to arrange a room and everything we needed in a place called Dongri because he knows the difficulty of people from outside to live in such a place. I couldn’t believe our luck because this man was truly a lifesaver. Once we had settled in, we decided to explore the city . Mumbai’s bustling markets were our first stop, and what an experience that was! Bargaining in Hindi, a language which is different from our native tongue of Malayalam, felt like an adventure in itself. Even though we didn’t always strike the best deals but exploring those places was enough for us to enjoy. On that same day I witnessed my first live pickpocketing incident in the market a completely different experience that added a layer of reality to the chaotic energy around us.
Day two started, and this was the day we had been eagerly waiting that is to set out for Harihar Fort. We heard that there is a train at 6:30 AM, and I woke up excited and ready to go. I called out to my friend to wake up as well, but he told me it was raining and suggested we go the next day instead. Foolishly, I believed him. Little did I know, it wasn’t raining at all because the sound I had heard was actually just the fan in the room. By the time we figured out the truth, we had missed the 6:30 AM train. In a frenzy, we rushed to the station only to discover that the next available train wasn’t until 12:30 PM.
That threw our plans into chaos. We realized that with such a late start, it wouldn’t be possible to trek Harihar Fort and return to Mumbai in time to catch our train back the next day. For a moment, it seemed like our grand adventure was about to end in failure. But luckily, we had a backup plan. If Harihar didn’t work out, we had decided that we’d visit Matheran, a beautiful hill station famous for its lush greenery and lack of motor vehicles. Instead of cars, you’d see horses, auto-rickshaws, and toy trains moving around. We pivoted to that plan, and it felt like things were looking up again.
On that day, we made the most of Mumbai. We tried vada pav, a street food that we couldn’t get enough of. It was our first real taste of Mumbai’s culinary culture, and we loved every bite. After filling ourselves up, we wandered through the famous Fashion Street, a bustling shopping area with over 900 shops selling clothes at cheap rate. We were having a-lot of fun but the weather wasn’t on our side. There was a red alert for heavy rains in Mumbai, and we found ourselves soaked as we shopped without umbrellas. But even with the rain falling on us, we couldn’t help but laugh and enjoy that moment. There was something different about shopping in the rain, even as we were soaked to the bone.
The following day, we set out early in the morning to follow through on our backup plan that is Matheran. We caught a train, and after two hours, plus a short taxi ride, we arrived at Asia’s only automobile-free hill station. The place was mesmerizing. A foggy forest surrounded us, and a small toy train path led us toward the main village. Monkeys playing around, adding a lively charm to the place. What struck me the most was how well-preserved everything was. The trees, mountains, and waterfalls were untouched by modernity, and the different varieties of buildings blended seamlessly with the natural beauty around them.
Our ultimate goal in Matheran was to reach the waterfalls, a spot that had been highly recommended. When we finally reached there, it was like a completely different world. The waterfall was surrounded by misty mountains and clouds that seemed to float just above us. The beauty of the place made all the effort to get there worthwhile. We spent a long time just soaking in the atmosphere, feeling at peace with the world. For that moment, everything felt fresh and perfect.
Suddenly we looked at the time. It was 2 PM, and our return train was booked for 4:30 PM. Panic set in, we had to leave immediately to get the return train. We packed up quickly and sprinted down the toy train path, bags on our backs, racing against time. We managed to get a taxi and rushed to the station, but there was one last struggle ,we had no internet to buy tickets and no cash on hand. In desperation, we boarded two different trains without tickets, hoping not to get caught.
Finally, we reached the station, and just as we reached the platform, the train had started moving. In a bit of luck, we managed to hop on board, breathless but relieved. The journey was complete, and what had started as a series of mishaps turned into one of the most unforgettable adventures of our lives. At the end of the dat what they told and what we realised was true that is Mumbai, without a doubt, is a city of dreams.
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