A Proud City Made Humble

Yesterday, I witnessed something incredible. I saw a city of proud people made humble. A strange day for Mumbai. Yes, I said strange, because there’s no other way how to explain why the arrest of a single individual in a city of over a million causes the entire metropolitan to lock down.

My day at office began with a quick hurry through my files, retrieving the right presentation, packing stuff up and speeding off in a cab with my colleague to a meeting with a client. The roads were teeming with cops. Nothing untoward had happened as yet. Yet, every police officer worth his salt was on the streets protecting the city. Even the Rapid Action Force team was on guard. Apparently, they were preparing for something big. The meeting went off pretty well. We had lunch at Mama Mia’s after meeting my uncle, who plans on buying a cruise boat. Big plans are being worked out in Goa. And my profession as a copywriter might come into play. But enough of that.

We got back to office. Rested for a while. Looked at our watches. Started scrambling for our next meeting. We were off in a cab once more. Drove around Mahalakshmi Station. The meeting was halfway through. As we were making our presentation for the brand manual, we received news that Raj Thackeray had been arrested. Everyone had been urged to go home. Panic numbers were being dialed. We wound up the meeting as fast as we could. Got into a cab and drove back to office. I called my better half. The girl left her phone at home. Goddammit! So, I spoke to a few friends and got them to promise me that they will leave at the earliest.

As we drove into Lalbagh, I was stunned by what I saw. Every shop in Lalbagh had their shutter rolled down. Now Lalbagh, if you know Mumbai well enough, has a whole lot of Factory Outlets, where you get branded clothing and apparel at discount prices. And evenings are the prime business timings. Yesterday evening every store had shut their doors way before 5 pm. Even DP’s (a bar my office mates and me frequent) was closed.

We got back to office. In a comic turn of events, my boss was the first to leave. We all hurried with necessary work, and unnecessary protocol. After a couple of false starts, we took off. Now, I’m the only person living on the Western Line, so I walk myself to Lower Parel station. And I witnessed something astonishing. There was pin-drop silence on the street. You could smell the nervousness in the air. It tingled like an electric charge, just waiting to explode. Faces had crumpled brows, and people stood on corners in groups of four, whispering sinister somethings. A quiet exodus of people marched towards their respective train stations. I walked with myself. I wanted to take a picture, but the cops would have arrested me. Don’t exactly know what for.

I couldn’t help imagine the power of fear. In a democratic, republic nation like ours, in a metropolitan like ours, fear somehow steps out of the shadows where it silently crouches. In a sweeping move it pounces over everyone, claws bared. Dominating the mental landscape, painting black over everything. Was it the arrest that people fear or the aftermath? Or is it a person’s last name that strikes terror? A city that screams, yells, shouts, rants, abuses, and barks, the city that they called ‘Maximum City’ was made to point their eyes to the asphalt.

Anyways, I got to the train station. The crowd was larger than usual. People fought to get in. I pushed my way into the compartment. And then, everything was normal…


Raj Thackeray was released on bail after three hours.