The Other Side of the Glass
Brunch|March 12, 2017

Despite having lost itself in its own warped success, Mumbai will always be beautiful.

Zuni Chopra
The Other Side of the Glass

MY GLASSES have bothered me since the day I got them. Agreed, that day was six years ago, but they are as much of a nuisance now as they were on that fateful, sunny Monday morning when they wrestled onto my face and sat there like an overgrown wart.

The doctor said they allowed me to see well. I thought I saw quite well enough, thank you very much. But nothing could have properly prepared me for the feeling of being able to observe every leaf upon every tree, notice the sunlight dancing off of them, and identify the subtle shift in their shades of green.

I’ve seen a lot since then. As I said, it has been six years. Would you like me to tell you what I’ve seen?

THE AC BUBBLE

Mumbai is a city that’s lost itself and its beauty in its own warped success. Boxes of houses grow into towers of haphazard roofs and wet, faded clothes, trampling each other into the ground. Looming billboards flashing the names of numerous useless brands, bordered by the possibly even more useless promises of the famed, soar above dilapidated houses that will live forever reminded they are beneath such luxury. Between the rows of BMWs packed against one another on the dusty roads, women and children press themselves and their wounds and their pasts against darkened windows, no longer so much begging as fulfilling another of life’s morbid demands till it is time to leave it all behind.

Denne historien er fra March 12, 2017-utgaven av Brunch.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra March 12, 2017-utgaven av Brunch.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA BRUNCHSe alt
Let's tri all the angles
Brunch

Let's tri all the angles

BFFs falling for the same girl, kidnap twists, murders, bromances. These 10 three-way love stories play with geometry and our feelings

time-read
3 mins  |
November 09, 2024
Should you Q up for this?
Brunch

Should you Q up for this?

Audi's luxury SUV, the Q8, has had a refresh. But a sleeker grille and headlight tech don't make up for what's still missing

time-read
2 mins  |
November 09, 2024
How to plan a great escape
Brunch

How to plan a great escape

It's getting colder. It's already hard to breathe. Why not plan a winter vacation that's a world away but not too far away?

time-read
2 mins  |
November 09, 2024
Kababs, yes, but khandvi too
Brunch

Kababs, yes, but khandvi too

Mughlai cuisine has as many vegetarian dishes as meaty ones. A new translation of a 16th century manuscript shows how we ate, and why modern labels are pointless

time-read
3 mins  |
November 09, 2024
I can be your hero
Brunch

I can be your hero

Gurfateh Pirzada, only afewroles old, is the green flag we didn't know we needed. He's learning from women. He wants to be more thana lover and a fighter. He's hoping we all do better. No wonder everyone's crushing on him

time-read
4 mins  |
November 09, 2024
Meet the export experts
Brunch

Meet the export experts

Khadi crop-tops in Spain, faux-leather hoodies in London, fairytale wedding gowns in the UAE. See how some desi labels are killing it on foreign shores

time-read
3 mins  |
November 09, 2024
Why we're all feeling Blue
Brunch

Why we're all feeling Blue

Coco Mellors's new novel is about grief, sisterhood, and of course, addiction and unlikeable women. How does she make it work?

time-read
4 mins  |
November 09, 2024
This week, we're...
Brunch

This week, we're...

Changing the momo game, listening to kids, starting a new business, and supporting pro waxxers

time-read
2 mins  |
November 09, 2024
Rohit Chawla
Brunch

Rohit Chawla

Photographer, artist, @RohitChawlaPhotography_

time-read
1 min  |
November 02, 2024
Congratulations, it's a goal
Brunch

Congratulations, it's a goal

Lakeside vows, pastel palettes, bayous, backyards and boats. These celeb weddings are what modern fairytales are made of

time-read
2 mins  |
November 02, 2024