It was when I missed the last suburban train that I realisedthe city that never sleeps actually takes a nap. After a late evening movieshow at a multiplex, I thought, my friend and I could make it on time for thelast train. But alas! That night proved that Mumbai is no longer the city thatnever sleeps. Hence, I was stranded at Dadar from 1:45 am to 4:30 am till thefirst train arrived.
As a college student, I had limited money on me; no ATM cardas well. In such a case, my sole option was to wait until morning to get thefirst train. My friend and I couldn't afford a cab, and to our terrible luck,we were both going in different directions - he towards South Mumbai and I washeaded for north. A couple of cops came up to us to inspect if all was good.
It then occurred that Mumbai’s suburban trains snooze forabout three hours to complete the sequence of the day. We decided to sit at abus stop, as there was no public place that was open at that hour. A handful ofbuses were awake on the road, but not wide-awake to halt at any bus station.Cab drivers doing their 7:00 pm to 7:00 am shift approached us, but we were notcapable of paying the normal fare let alone the night charges.
On one of my recent visits to Goa, a friend and I decided togo out for coffee after stuffing ourselves with a sumptuous dinner thatcomprised everything meat and fish. Being born and brought up in South Goa, Irarely stepped out of the house after 8:00 pm. But this night, I was out pastmidnight. We rode till Colva beach and walked towards the shore. I nudged myfriend and asked if we could go to the beach at that hour. He replied with aconfused look on his face. So I had to narrate the story.
About two years ago, after an event at one of the five starhotels in Juhu in Mumbai, a group of friends thought we could sit by the sea.So following our idea, we walked towards the shore, and were shocked to witnessa chase by the Mumbai cops. Since then I started to believe that we couldn’tvisit a beach after midnight. However, we took a cab and headed to ourrespective homes.
Today, when we say that Mumbai is the city of dreams, it’snon-negotiable. But when we say that this city never sleeps, we are definitelygoing wrong in our perception. If you compare the number of clubs that existtoday with those that existed five years ago, the number has the answer. If youwere a party-hopper, you will know what I’m trying to convey. No nightclub hasthe permission to operate post 1:30 am. Even before the clock freezes its handson one and six, a Mumbai police van will halt outside the nightclub. More oftenit’s not the clubs that generate noise, but it’s the people who arecongregating in front of the club.
As laid down by the Maharashtra government, nightclubsshould bring down their shutters by 1:30 am so that even the neighbourhood isreleased from the constant party-animal rant.
Bombay is a place most Goans got to for a career oreducation. Many make it their home. SUEZELLE D’COSTA from Cuncolim is one ofthem. A media professional, she starts her fortnightly column A GOAN IN BOMBAY.
