January 22, 2024
Writing this journal on the 23rd because yesterday was a truly hectic day, and I didn’t get time to pen it down.
The day began early—woke up around 1:15 AM after a short 2-hour nap to catch my train at 3:50 AM from BRC. I had to travel around 60 km to reach the station, leaving my city at 2:15 AM and driving myself there. After a 4-5 hour train journey, I reached MMCT at 8:30 AM and booked a cab to the office.
The early morning Mumbai traffic was, as always, unbearable, but I managed to reach the office by 9 AM. With no familiar faces in the company, I started the day with coffee and breakfast. My main task was preparing and delivering a session on secure coding, scheduled for 3:30 PM. However, when I got to know the audience consisted of developers from a different product team, whom I wasn’t familiar with, it threw me off a bit.
After breakfast, I met a few devs and managers to discuss security-related matters. Then came the session—it lasted about 1.5 hours, but honestly, no one seemed interested. At the end, I asked if anyone had questions, but the silence spoke volumes. Everyone just left, which made me feel weird and unappreciated. After all the effort I’ve put into the company’s security, this internship often feels like a waste of time, especially compared to the satisfaction I get from freelance projects. I’m seriously considering leaving.
By 6 PM, it was time to head to BDTS station, 12 km from the office, for my return train. While waiting for my cab near Bombay Canteen, something unexpected happened—I saw Zakir Khan (one of the best Indian comedians) standing just a feet away, chatting with someone. I didn’t realize it was him at first until I heard his voice. He seemed busy, so I didn’t approach him for a photo or a hello, and soon his car arrived, and he left.
When my cab finally arrived, I left for the station. The cab ride to BDTS was chaotic due to Mumbai’s notorious traffic—it took me over an hour to cover just 12 km! During the ride, I had a deep conversation with the cab driver, who opened up about his struggles. He shared his story about moving to Mumbai from UP, how the pandemic impacted his life, and how he had to switch between jobs—selling newspapers and vegetables—just to survive.
His story hit me hard. He works tirelessly to support his family, with two daughters in college, and dreams of returning to his village once they’re independent. One thing he said stayed with me: “Mumbai ki kamai, Mumbai mein hi reh jaati hai” (Mumbai’s earnings stay in Mumbai). It was a reflection of how expensive life is in the city, with no room for savings despite working so hard.
The cab driver also explained how autorickshaws aren’t allowed in South Mumbai’s posh areas, like near my office. The contrast was striking—where I worked, autorickshaws were nonexistent, but the station area was swarming with them. I also saw the crazy post-office rush for Mumbai locals—the sheer number of people trying to board trains was unbelievabl.
Exhausted, I finally boarded the train, skipping dinner and surviving on a Nescafe latte and some chips. The train ride was long, with mosquitoes making it even more unbearable. Despite everything, I managed to hit my daily step goal with 5,573 steps.
