It is a particular nostalgic feeling to get up on a bed in the country of one's origin. I could be biased, but India and her people make an impression on me. I felt secure and comfortable while growing up, but had to leave the country when there was massive political instability. Sometimes one feels helpless to fight against oppression, but many do choose to stay and fight it out. It is a personal decision. India is still recovering from the damages done through centuries of foreign occupation. The foreign rulers could not destroy the culture of India though they tried. India's discovery that each object in the universe is special and has its own cause for existence outshines any philosophical or religious discourse anywhere. It is not clear how such a discovery took place, but it has powerfully rooted itself in the living of people. We respect another object for what it is and not judge it or curse it. Everything is a part of the creation, the Creator manifests in every object. We must declare the equality of all. Equality is transcendental. Our personal happiness or unhappiness is trivial compared to the running of the universe. Our presence or absence is inconsequential. We may feel that we are running our life, but it runs through a large all-encompassing cosmic flow which mends our local role. The answer to life is positive attitude and acceptance. An uncalled for guest is the friend, since he or she chose to show up. Nothing is an accident, everything is a grace. I am a guest. Being accepted I am offered a bed. Mumbai is a lovely city. Like New York, it is a built by reclaiming land from the sea. Like New York it is busy and bustling. Unlike New York, Mumbai is not cold or impersonal. The entire city opens up for religious festivals. All communities have their respective enclaves but all are Indianized in the powerful understanding of life. Respecting a person is the key to human existence. The call of liberation from the foreign rule came from this land four centuries ago. Gandhi's Quit India movement against the British started in this city.
I lived in the neighboring city of Pune for five years as a student. I came to Mumbai often and participated in the local cultural festivals. The area is rich is music, dance, art and literature. Maratha culture is thousands of years old. The valley of Narmada is legendary in neolithic anthropology. The mighty Godavari starts her journey from a hillside from the outskirts of the city. The mountains cause torrential rains in summer, but Mumbai holds up, The rainwater clears. The city is well planned. The British developed it as a port. It is the port of entry to India.
The morning happens late in Jitendra's household. Because of his disability, Jitendra depends on his various assistants, the maid having a key role in the household in the absence of his wife. The maid punctually shows up at 8:15 and prepares tea and breakfast. Jitendra has a man who escorts him out for a walk. A driver shows up late in the morning who takes him around to places and acts as a Secretary for his errands. Another maid comes to sweep and clean. As a retired civil servant, Jitendra can afford the expense. He has a comfortable living in a modest setup.
Jitendra observed me slow and dragging. I explained to him about my expeditions on tall temples in Cambodia. He suggested I should be administered a massage therapy by a personal therapist he knew. Dr. Darith had suggested the same in Siem Reap, but I was not prepared to declare fatigue. In Mumbai I had time. My mother did arrange massage for me while I returned from my long trips to the countryside during my early life. I agreed for the massage session in Jitendra's apartment.
He made a few phone calls and a man showed up in half hour. Apparently various massage people appoint themselves to residential buildings. Jitendra's complex could consist of about five hundred residential units divided in several multi-storeyed blocks. The massage person gets business through word of mouth being conveyed through the security guards in the building.
The man asked me that he would need some oil. I gave him a three ounce coconut oil bottle I had carried from Thailand. We were ready for our massage therapy. I laid on bed face down and the man used his palm and knuckles in various motions. Muscles do get tight when we give them stress. Stroked massage helps create the blood flow. Stimulating skin and the pores is a good part of healing. I asked the man how he learned his trade. He said it was a family business.
The man came from Mathura, a thousand miles north. He said that his family lived there and he came for work in the city. He had three children, two were married. He was preparing to get the last daughter married. Human life is to create obligations and meet the challenges. He shared a living space two hours away by train but could spend overnight locally if he found business. He did not cook, took all his food outside. I thought that he was the face of the new India's uprooted working class.
He remarked that the coconut oil was of good quality. He started walking on my back by applying full body weight! Then he asked if I needed extra pressure. I did not know the strength of my bones and I did not want further adventure! Then he worked on my hands and head. The entire bottle of oil was exhausted. It had its effect on me. I felt relaxed. I paid him and tipped him. I thanked Jitendra for having arranged to get him to help me.
Jitendra's mornings go through checking half a dozen local newspapers that bring national and international news. I borrowed a few from him and had my session. Having felt good through the magic of massage, I suggested to Jitendra if we could go to Nehru Center, the new educational and arts complex at the waterfront. Having not been there before, he agreed. The driver was called and we were on our way by about noon.
Nehru Center is an expansive place with a tall building. It houses art galleries and hosts an exhibition entitled "Discovery of India" based on Nehru's book. It also has a large performance area with a twelve hundred seat auditorium. The location is in Worli in south Mumbai. One goes via the sea through a newly constructed bridge to cut traffic. The peninsular south Mumbai has some of the most expensive real estates in the city.
