Short Story: No One Asked

In this short story, Aromal VS takes us to the crowded lanes of Mumbai to witness life passing through as people keep struggling to keep up and survive.

1

2013

CSMT ,  Mumbai 

Mumbai is busier than usual. A lot of cars, buses, and bikes are waiting for the green light at the city’s main signal.A race of people running from all corners and nowhere is about to begin here. Just next to it is the railway station, which fills the city with life. The sound of the train from there startled the little boy who was sleeping, leaning against the wall near the signal.

He must have been around 13 years old, with a tall, thin body. The sight of him sitting there, covered in a blanket, sleepy, was not new. Not only near CSMT, but in any corner of Mumbai, we can see a lot of people running non-stop, like the little hands of a clock.

Some people are walking along the side of the city, carrying leather bags, looking at their watches without expression, followed by small children holding their mothers’ hands with half-awake faces. On the other side, delivery boys with online-ordered breakfasts are making a great effort to get to the front of the line. So, many people are hurrying in different directions or waiting for the signal.