Poly roly

"Parel" is a neighborhood in Mumbai. All said and done, not a bad neighborhood. The price-gouging taxiwallah drove us past a reasonably clean ad uncrowded "middle class" neighborhood. Lots of drug stores. Lots. I recently heard business acquaintance describe Asia as "over-medicated". Needless to say, there is tons of money going into healthcare in erstwhile healthy Asia.

Seedy hotels with names like Aroma, Shantidoot and Sharda. On balance, a fresh coat of plaster and paint could get at least this part of Mumbai looking good. And maybe just getting rid of the old model taxi cabs; and the drivers and pedestrians while at it; and somehow magically disappear the mounds of garbage. Who am I kidding.

Soon I spy the ubiquitous two-wheeler families. A woman pressed close to her man, hand not around him, but apparently on his crotch. Gives a new meaning to auto-eroticism. Hehe. But, it turned out she had her hand firmly on his thigh, just above the bulge.... Of his wallet. She's got her priorities right. There was another family where a little kid was so tightly sandwiched between mom and dad I almost missed him/her, were it not for a hand snaking out.

Another threesome, a chubby tubby family I have to say, had a rather old - say 10 year old - kid between mom and dad, fast asleep and leaning backward, much to my alarm and consternation. Furiously I was trying to figure out where exactly the center of gravity lay and how unstable an equilibrium it all was. No such thoughts concerned his mom, sanguine, and seen a few minutes later with him awake, commisserating and indulging the just-awoken. For all I know toothbrush and oatmeal followed suit.

Then the little kid with his backpack, hugging daddy tightly, both climbing a flyover at low gear, but fast enough to have the hair flying backward. That little kid was the most satisfied person in Mumbai last night. A smile of happiness and adoration for his cool-riding dad. I almost feel sorry for when he grows up. For his dad, that is.

Finally, home to cousins and curry. I found out on the way back that the onward taxi had only charged me 50% more than the meter charge. Chump change. Pun intended.

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