A new begining

The other day, while shopping, for a footwear with a fancy design,got my attention and I purchased it. Being a person soon to attain the status of senior citizen, I was little hesistant to spend on a fancy item like this, but I soon overcome the hesitation. For many days, I had put off this particular purchase, as after my retirement from service, I did not give too much attention to my appearance. Not that I had always taken that extra care in my clothes, before stepping out of the house.

I choose to wear the new footwear while going out the next day. Soon I hurt myself and I could not walk a step further wearing the shoes. I removed them and started walking barefoot. It reminded me of the the day I landed in Mumbai; almost three and half decades back!

I had finished my schooling and passed shorthand & typewriting examinations. Soon I was trying to get a job. However hard I tried, my efforts did not materialize. Some of my relatives were in Mumbai and I chose to write to them. Soon my uncle asked me to come to Mumbai and you guessed it right,I purchased my brand new shoe for my trip. My grandmother insisted that I carry by bedding, as I was going to stay with my relations. Those days, the journey involved more than two days tedious traveling, as one had to change the train at Arkonam. Besides the bedding, I carried some of my favourite things, mostly of agriculture produce, and it was quite a heavy load. As my first long journey progressed, with changing of trains, I thought many times of abandoning the bedding, as I found it difficult to keep it in the crowded train.

After I reached Mumbai late in the evening, my feets were paining due to shoe-bites and I removed the shoes. I got down from the train, carrying my shoes in the left hand and balancing other luggages with my right. My ordeal had only started, as evening rush hour in the suburban trains had begun. Some how I got inside the train with the shoe in one hand and luggages in the other hand. Thus began my new adventure [in pain I might add] in one of the wonderful cities of the world ...