Caught in a traffic jam!

On Sunday, I became a victim of the Mumbai traffic jams for the 3rd time.

The first was when I was a boy and we'd missed the train due to traffic jam on Mohammad Ali Road (this was in the 80s and the iconic flyover was nowhere in sight. For 'those who came in late' - as they say in Phantom comics - the 2.5 km distance usually used to take about an hour)

And the second was a couple of years ago when it took me more than 75 minutes to reach Santacruz airport from Jogeshwari West (spent more than one hour traversing 5 km.) 

But the third was the worst because it involved not me, but the wife, daughter and in-laws!

The train was at 3:45 in the afternoon from Bandra Terminus. To ensure that we reach on time, we left home at 2, giving ourselves 90 minutes to reach the station (normally an hour's drive).

Everything was perfect till we reached Suman Nagar junction. As expected, we were there in less than 35 minutes.

And then, the jam started!

Hundreds of trucks (or, at least that's what they seemed to me) just appeared all over the place, jamming up the entire road. The traffic just did not seem to move. And even when it did, it was at a snail's pace.

2:40 became 2:45, then ticked on to 3:00 and the clock on the dashboard then started showing 3:10, and we'd moved from Suman Nagar junction to Chunabhatti junction (how much is it - 1 km?). And that's where we saw the issue.

Nothing much, the usual. The signal was off and the policeman was trying to control the traffic!

By this time, I'd lost hope of getting the train. But we plodded on.

The Dharavi stretch was as bad as usual, and we meandered through it, reaching BKC junction at 3:34 (I had my eye on that clock).

Our woes were not yet over. As soon as we turned in towards the road leading to Bandra Terminus, we were greeted by that other ubiquitous sight, dug up road, leading to all traffic only on one side of the road.

And need I tell you about the auto rickshaws in such situations?

We could not turn back. Straight was the only way to go. And that 500 meter stretch from the junction to the station stretched for another 45 minutes!

By the time we reached Bandra station, the train was possibly at Borivli!

There went the holiday!

Anyway, I believe everything's for the best!

Maybe the Lord wills that my son and I accompany them, and we're already making plans for November, during the Diwali weekend.

As of now, my daughter decided to still have her holiday, and dragged her mom along to my in-law's house for a few days.

So there I am, folks. A single father to my son for the next few days, one way or the other.

And maybe the next time, I shall leave for the station in the morning for the evening train!

Of Love and Apples

I have started gaining significant weight of late.

After the accident, the doctors have strongly recommended keeping my weight in check so as to avoid excessive pressure on the knee. In any case, once one is on the wrong side of 40, it is best to be careful due to the other risks involved.

But leading the kind of life that I do, with 14-16 hour work days, no weekends worth calling my own, sedentary lifestyle, no chance of exercise and the stress, it is a tough task to keep weight in check!

In the absence of a gym or walk schedule, I realised that the best way to manage my weight was a strict diet and a daily check.

This daily check involved two things. Standing on the weighing scale thrice a week; and checking my stomach daily while brushing my teeth - whether it is threatening to do a belly dance of its own.

And my diet involved a decent breakfast, fruits or salads for lunch and a light dinner.

Despite this, I had gained 2 kg in the past year. Cause for concern, but not too much.

But a couple of weeks ago, I binged! And the result? Another 1 kg gained in 3 days flat!

Panic set in. I started feeling lethargic, getting pain in my knees, tired after walking even a couple of meters et al.

I felt that even the fruit plate that I eat for lunch is too much, as the canteen-wala packs in a lot of fruits. So I asked my wife to give me apple one daily for lunch.

The first couple of days, I heard lectures on why only one apple is not good enough.

The next couple, I got the apple a day.

Then, I was in a hurry to leave for office, and my wife conveniently ‘forgot’ to give them to me.

After that, the apples got over. Hullo! I had just two, what about the others?

After a week of this game of hide-and-seek, last weekend, I asked her why she was doing this. And I got a lecture on why just one apple is not good enough for lunch. I need a balanced diet. And her idea of a balanced diet – chapatis, rice, daal, vegetables; and an apple!

I said –that’s like a mega-meal which would make me put on more weight, to which she replied that an apple is just a fruit. It is not food.

Anyway, without boring you with the details of our conversation, let me come to the last statement of hers.

“But Mubin, how can I not give you enough food? After all, I love you.”

Now I know the origin of the phrase - ‘Love Handles’.