A Reality Check (Reloaded)

Vishal, Arjun and Sunil were three good friends. They studied in the same college and helped each other out in their time of need. Now Arjun lived in the heart of Mumbai whereas both Vishal and Sunil lived in the outskirts of the city. So, one day Arjun asked both of them to come to his house and from there they planned to have a hang-out in places like Bandstand or Marine Drive and have a good time.

Now Arjun was a farely hardworking, determined and yet a fun loving guy। Both Vishal and Sunil admired the way he used to go about his life and he always came across as a well-to-do guy. Dressed well, traveled in a first class and wasn’t short of money whenever the group decided to pay a visit to the nearby joint. So when both of them got down at Dockyard road they thought they would be visiting a well decked up, farely decent apartment of his. Arjun was waiting there to pick them up from the station. The trio took a Taxi from the station and came near a building which looked around 30 years old, there was darkness around the stairs and as they entered his house, reality hit him on their faces.

Arjun and his family (4 of them) stayed in a one room apartment which was so small that from the entrance to the end of his house, one could barely walk say 6 or 7 proper steps। The fridge, his P.C and the television were kept all in one corner of the house leaving just a minute little space between them. They had this one little space where they could have a bath and for the bowl movement, there was one common toilet in each floor of the building. It was actually like a chawl in shape of a building. As they browsed through all the latest games that Arjun had in his P.C, Vishal could not help but shed a little tear sitting in that tiny sofa of his which almost touched the door of his house. The idli and wada guy arrived at his door step and in spite of their refusal he made them eat that. After spending around an hour in his house, they left for bandstand. The trio had a great time hanging out but Vishal’s mind was some where else.

On his way home several questions ran through Vishal’s mind…”How could he travel in a first class ticket? How could he remain so jovial about life and yet so determined about what he wanted to achieve?” And all this drove him to one simple conclusion ….This was what they all call “The Mumbai Life”.

There are so many other Arjun’s in the heart of the city that make Mumbai what it is today. Another thing that popped up in his mind that day was that wasn't it ironic or rather strange that all the people that he used to see hanging out in these huge, glitzy air conditioned malls or in Ccd’s etc. eventually had to return to their one room apartment at the end of the day. Guess that too he thought, was a reality in the city.

That day gave Vishal kind of a boost to do well in life, do well for himself. If Arjun could do it in all kinds of adversaries, then why couldn't he? From that day onwards his Outlook towards life changed and changed for the better.

P.S : Thanxs Neha for all the editing। I guess I have myself edited it some more but thanxs for your help :)

P.P.S :My Exams start next Friday and my Birthday is next Saturday :) ...Hopefully it would be a nice celebration if the paper goes well :P....Planning the next post on my Birthday ॥Let's see....

Wish me well People :)