The Vivekean Times

“If you tossed a stone up in the air, it  would fall down upon either a pig or a  Pereira” was an old Bandra saying. In  places like Chuim or Chimbai, the  prevalent version ended with “a pig or  a Fernandes.” Apparently, since there  are hardly any pigs left in Bandra, the   Pereiras and Fernandes have eaten  them all up. But there has been a steady  decline in the number of Pereiras and  Fernandes in this area as well, due to   such factors as migration, the high cost  of real estate and the pressure tactics  employed by unscrupulous builders.  No longer do we see those beautiful  cottages with their breath-taking gar dens. Bandra has indeed changed a lot  and mostly for the worse.   We now live in a concrete jungle  filled with malls, shopping centres,  eateries and mobile stores. This con crete  jungle  bustles  with  humans  but  is  devoid...

“If you tossed a stone up in the air, it  would fall down upon either a pig or a  Pereira” was an old Bandra saying. In  places like Chuim or Chimbai, the  prevalent version ended with “a pig or  a Fernandes.” Apparently, since there  are hardly any pigs left in Bandra, the   Pereiras and Fernandes have eaten  them all up. But there has been a steady  decline in the number of Pereiras and  Fernandes in this area as well, due to   such factors as migration, the high cost  of real estate and the pressure tactics  employed by unscrupulous builders.  No longer do we see those beautiful  cottages with their breath-taking gar dens. Bandra has indeed changed a lot  and mostly for the worse.   We now live in a concrete jungle  filled with malls, shopping centres,  eateries and mobile stores. This con crete jungle bustles with humans but is  devoid of humanity. It is a “might is...

I smiled at the irony that while we, the trainees, were equipped with rocket launchers, AK47s and other sophisticated weaponry, the head of the mission confronted us with a measly pistol. I was still smiling as my fingers pulled the trigger. The short, bald leader collapsed in a heap. Our jeep sped away. We left the camp that night, leaving a trail of destruction in our wake. Scores of dismembered bloody bodies lay strewn all over the place. Almost every solid structure had been reduced to rubble. Small fires flared at various places. There were a couple of big fires that lit up the night sky. But what I remember most vividly was the ghastly silence just before we left the site. The above segment is a short extract from my soon-to-be-published novel ‘Indians in Pakistan’, an action thriller that will leave you spellbound. It will also immerse you into a totally different world in which different forces are at play as jihadis plot a rebellion against their evil masters. ...

“If you tossed a stone up in the air, it would fall down upon either a pig or a Pereira” was an old Bandra saying. In places like Chuim or Chimbai, the prevalent version ended with “a pig or a Fernandes.” Apparently, since there are hardly any pigs left in Bandra, the  Pereiras and Fernandes have eaten them all up. But there has been a steady decline in the number of Pereiras and Fernandes in this area as well, due to   such factors as migration, the high cost of real estate and the pressure tactics employed by unscrupulous builders. No longer do we see those beautiful cottages with their breath-taking gar dens. Bandra has indeed changed a lot and mostly for the worse.   We now live in a concrete jungle filled with malls, shopping centres, eateries and mobile stores. This con crete jungle bustles with humans but is devoid of humanity. It is a “might is right” world where kinfolk slap court cases on each other. This is a far cry from   the  Bandr...

(As it appeared in the Bandra Buzz  last year) It’s that time of the year again when the whole of India unwinds and chills out to participate in the Holi festival. Colourful faces, wet clothes and ecstatic shrieks all herald in this joyous spring festival. Holi is yet another celebration of the triumph of good over evil – It is the commemoration of the burning of the demoness Holika as she tried to kill Prahlada, the privileged devotee of Lord Vishnu, who miraculously survived. Huge bonfires are lit across India to celebrate this glorious event. Holi has always been celebrated with gaiety and vigour in Mumbai. The cosmopolitan nature of this city ensures that people of all castes and creeds become wet and colourful during this festive occasion. Gangs of mischievous kids hurl water balloons at each other or at unsuspecting passers-by who first shriek, then abuse and finally burst into laughter - well, not always! And then there are the groups of adults who are...

It's been fun working with the Bandra Buzz newspaper for nearly a year. This monthly publication provides news and views on issues and topics related to Bandra and its adjoining suburbs. I have contributed several articles and even poems for them. My poem entitled "The Valentine's Day Blues" is one of my best. I had composed it literally overnight. Then I wrote about the bomb blasts in the heart of Mumbai, the Holi festival and the Bandra fair. I have covered the Diwali celebrations at the Khar Gymkhana for Bandra Buzz as well as the International Beer Festival held at the Bandra Gymkhana. You can find my work at the following URLs: http://bandrabuzz.wordpress.com/sep-2011/                   Pg 1 http://bandrabuzz.wordpress.com/nov/                            Pg 8 and 9 ...

Juliet: (to herself) Which one of my boyfriends could it be knocking at my bedroom window at this unearthly hour? Oh, it’s Romeo!!! Juliet: (To Romeo) Romeo, you bledy bugger – What are you up to, men? Get down from the tree before you fall and break your b…...” Romeo: I climbest this tree to express my love for thou – a love that can survive tempests and tsunamis. Juliet: Romeo, dearest, dost thou havest – a car, a flat, or an ipad? Romeo: I haveth none of the above. Juliet: Then how dost thou dare to love? Thou livest in a fool’s paradise. I cannot love thee. Romeo: I just inherited a cool million from an uncle who passed away. He was quite a rich dude. The cash is in the bank. Juliet: I truly love thee now, my Romeo. Romeo: Why dost thou not respond to my SMSes, my darling? Thou knowest how much I love thee especially after thou went under the plastic surgeon’s scalpel. Juliet: A Daniel, still say I, a second Daniel! Romeo: I think that’s from the “Mercha...

Juliet: (to herself) Which one of my boyfriends could it be knocking at my bedroom window at this unearthly hour? Oh, it’s Romeo!!! Juliet: (To Romeo) Romeo, you bledy bugger – What are you up to, men? Get down from the tree before you fall and break your b…...” Romeo: I climbest this tree to express my love for thou – a love that can survive tempests and tsunamis. Juliet: Romeo, dearest, dost thou havest – a car, a flat, or an ipad? Romeo: I haveth none of the above. Juliet: Then how dost thou dare to love? Thou livest in a fool’s paradise. I cannot love thee. Romeo: I just inherited a cool million from an uncle who passed away. He was quite a rich dude. The cash is in the bank. Juliet: I truly love thee now, my Romeo. Romeo: Why dost thou not respond to my SMSes, my darling? Thou knowest how much I love thee especially after thou went under the plastic surgeon’s scalpel. Juliet: A Daniel, still say I, a second Daniel! Romeo: I think that’s from the “Merchant of V...