Mumbai never feels new, and today, while coming back home, I finally understood why. It’s strange how a city can feel familiar on the very first day, how its chaos doesn’t shock you, how its streets don’t overwhelm you. And the more I thought about it, the more I realised it comes down to the Rule of Three. The first reason is simple: we’ve seen Mumbai since bachpan. Through television, movies, news, reality shows, and every dream shaped by our favourite actors, singers, and superstars — Mumbai has lived inside us long before we ever stepped into it. We grew up watching people chase their dreams in the very lanes we walk in today. So when you finally arrive here, it doesn’t feel like stepping into a new city. It feels like walking into a memory — something you somehow already know.
The second reason is the city’s pace. Mumbai is unbelievably, unapologetically fast. Slow people — or even people who think they are slow — instantly feel the difference. Sometimes I count myself in those humans, sometimes I don’t. But one thing stays constant: Mumbai doesn’t know how to stop. At 11:30 PM today, I was stuck in traffic that looked like peak hour. People were still running for trains, still closing deals, still chasing deadlines, still hustling for tomorrow. Here, every minute counts. Wasting even one minute makes you feel like you’ve done nothing at all. And honestly, I always craved this speed — in college, in life, in every version of myself. I wanted an environment where people were hungry, alive, ambitious. So now that I’m living in the middle of it, I have to remind myself: this is what you asked for. This is the life you dreamt of — raw, loud, restless, demanding.
The third reason Mumbai never feels new is because the city accepts everyone — but with conditions. Yes, Mumbai welcomes you with open arms, but that acceptance is a test in disguise. For the first month, you feel like the city loves you. You feel like you belong here. But slowly, quietly, Mumbai begins to observe you. It asks you questions through everyday life: Can you match my pace? Can you handle my chaos? Can you grow with me? If your answer aligns with the first two points, the city adopts you. If not, you don’t get thrown out — you simply start feeling disconnected. Mumbai becomes home only when you are willing to change for it.
This entire realisation deepened when I watched a play about Kalidas — his journey of growth and the life he left behind, especially his lover Malika. The story felt like a mirror to every household, every relationship, every person who leaves home in search of something bigger. People often say, “He will change,” as if it’s a warning. But of course he will change. How can a person not change when his entire environment shifts? The people, the rhythm, the challenges, the food, the responsibilities — everything transforms. When I moved to Mumbai, I felt the same transformation. Here, even 9 AM feels late to start your day. The energy is intense. The expectations are high. And somewhere inside that chaos, you realise change is not optional. Growing is your responsibility. Nobody will hold your hand here. Nobody will guide you step by step. Change brings growth. Growth brings power. Power gives you the clarity to decide who you want to become. And even if the change feels uncomfortable or “bad” at first, your job is to shape it into something good — like climbing a hill that hurts your legs but expands your view.
In the play, Kalidas changed over four years, but Malika stayed the same. She made tiny adjustments in her daily routine, but emotionally, mentally, spiritually — she didn’t grow. Not because she couldn’t, but because she handed her life over to waiting. She paused her story for someone else’s timeline. That’s the danger of giving the steering wheel of your life to someone else. When you wait too long, you become the one who is left behind by time. She accepted consequences she didn’t deserve, simply because she refused to move. And that’s the brutal truth — time moves for everyone, but not everyone moves with time.
When Kalidas returned home, he came back to the same place, but he wasn’t the same man. He had experienced the world, learned new lessons, built new strengths — he had a safety net that comes only from growth. But when he saw Malika standing exactly where he left her, still stuck in the past, something inside him shattered. And when he discovered how she had changed in ways he couldn’t connect with, he ran back to the world that shaped him. Because once you grow, you can’t shrink yourself to fit a version of the past.
And then comes the question people always ask: where is love in all this? Why aren’t you talking about love? Because real love doesn’t ask you to stay stuck. Real love asks you to move. Real love pushes you to grow, even when it’s uncomfortable. Real love doesn’t say, “Wait for me exactly where you are.” It says, “Keep going — we’ll meet where growth takes us.” Love brings people to Mumbai. Dreams bring people to Mumbai. Hunger brings people to Mumbai. But if you don’t change, Mumbai will never feel like home. This city belongs to the ones who evolve. And that is why Mumbai never feels new — because the real question isn’t whether Mumbai is ready for you, but whether you are ready for Mumbai.
– Mumbai 17 November 2025
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