Bombay Meri Jaan Poem by Prem Nizar Hameed

It was hand written on a piece of paper
From my first residence at Ghatkopar
Now I rewrite on my memory lane
To travel through Marine Lines
To finally get down at Church gate
Where I first met them at the main gate

He was Manu Pramod Rane
A rich young man from Thane
Her name was Ganga
She was from Matunga
They were on their way to their meeting point
Which was fixed nearby her office at Nariman Point

My lunch was then at a restaurant at Colaba
He too would come there with his Mehbooba
Always they shared food with Abrar
Who was their friend from Virar
And Abrar's girlfriend Sandra
Who was a resident of Bandra

They four flew like butterflies to Malabar Hill
And flowed like brooklets to down hill
Envious many, but they moved on enjoying Spaghetty
And the mild breezes and the singing waves of Chowpatty
Their romance roamed around many alleys with Vada Paav
And their weekends were spent at Borivali and Goregaon*

Of late, I met Rane alone at Worli sea face
Only to hear something from his worried face;
He revealed me how his dreams were shattered like Pakoda
Even he decided once to sleep forever on the platform of Koliwada;
Succinctly put it, Abrar eloped with Ganga to Kandivali
And Rane, rich to rag now though, lives not disappointedly

What happened to Sandra then, where is she, I asked Rane
Abrar left her half way, and Rane takes care of her in Pune;
Whether Rane was saved by Sandra in life, or she was saved by him
Or they married in the temple at Mahalakshmi or in the church at Mahim
Is not a matter of great importance; life must go on until death's pocket
This is from a page of diary by a man who had worked at Crawford Market

For the ending note, I gave the pen to my wife Kaveri
Who is the Head Of the Department of my home at Andheri:
"Love affair sometimes becomes like the rotten green salad
Or Like a small trip from Dadar to Sion then diverted to Malad
Anyhow, let us remember the present as Mumbai Meri Jaan,
Keeping all the past memories as Bombay Meri Jaan…."

Pronunciation- Goregaav*

(The words in Italics are the names of places in Mumbai)