Travelling in trains in mumbai may be a drudgery but it sure has it own set of endearing idiosyncrasies which is so peculiar to Mumbai. Often one might find loads of hawkers selling their wares at dead cheap prices. Also haggling is not a uncommon sight too. i remember this girl more or less my age, who used to daily be there in my train ( yeah, mumbaikars have their fixed trains for travelling, fixed seats in the trains etc.) selling bindis, earrings and other fashion accessories. She was very popular because she was this bindaas types and would not take shit from anyone. Also she had this popular way of selling her wares by singing hindi film songs. She used to be aware of most of the filmy numbers and was really good at that. As i progressed from my junior college to senior college, my college timings also changed and i soon lost a trcak of her. After a yri again happened to see her. I was shocked seeing her coz she was now a wife with sindoor on her forehead and mangal sutra dangling from her neck and a bulging tummy! I expressed my surprise to my fellow commuter who said that she was married off by her brother because according to him the only cure to her obstinate behaviour was marriage. I laughed at the reason and began enjoying her songs which were as usual loads of fun!
Today i saw her again, with a child in her hands. She was as usual in her chirpy bubbly self. Being married and having a baby seems to have no effect on her cheerfulness. She is still the same. In a span of 4 yrs. i have seen her transformation from a mischievous girl to a wife to a mother and she still doesnt cease to surprise me coz i love the way she adds zing to her life her bubbly attitude!
many a times it happens that a boring song which i would otherwise not bother to listen happens to interest me during train journeys when a bunch of kids sing to earn their living. Many of them are such good singers that they have this ability to make a boring song sound interesting. But it is a pity that such young children are resorted to earn their daily bread in such a manner. But nevertheless they make the tiresome journey worth for many passengers.