I had the best mini-vacation
Which was a work trip btw
Hello hello my friend,
(Disclaimer: This edition is going to be a lot about “my” experience, and perhaps too little for you to “learn”. In case you are not on for that, I respect that. You may close this issue and we will get back to usual things next week onwards.)
So, getting back:
I spent half of last week jamming at my cousin’s (whom I’ll refer to as bro throughout this email) office and home in Mumbai, and I am so full. In the most unexpected ways.
Which is why, I wanted to write this to you.
Think of it like an influencer recording a vlog. Just that, vlog = video + blog. So your girl is sticking to the blog part :)
Here are some of the things I observed, and took away with myself:
1. The right environment heals all your past biases.
Last month I had gone to a corporate office of a private bank (like one of the top 5 of the country), and I literally choked within a few minutes. The vibes were the least welcoming. A lot of office spaces have similar vibes. It is part of the reason I work from home. However, the vibes back in my bro’s office are SO good, so elegant, just looking like a wow :)
Jokes apart, I have now seriously started considering crashing at a coworking space or a coffee shop at least 2-3 days of the week (*if only I like the vibes there) :)).
2. I didn’t feel excluded.
My bro is an MD of a big company, and I would have expected him to be busy, or keep me waiting outside. What he did, instead, was to invite me over lunch meeting with him and his wife, meeting Commissioner of Income Tax and his wife!! Not only that, the moment I got seated on the table, my bro started praising me—that she wakes up very early, meditates, etc. Dude, this is supposed to be your meeting, but thank you :) It means so so much to me.
As a kid and being the youngest one in the house, my parents would often always ask me to go away whenever any “important” conversations in the house were taking place. This meeting healed me.
3. This was not it
2 out of 3 days in Mumbai, I was at his office, and he legit stepped out to take me from a random desk I was jamming on with my laptop, to sit with him in his cabin. Wow. Again, it was never about being privileged (which I recognise I was), it was rather about feeling included :) He would talk random things to make me feel included, but at the same time, after an hour or so, we would get back to our usual work. Me on the laptop, he taking care of his meetings. 2-3 times there were some private and important meetings, and I offered to get out, and he said, “no, keep sitting”. And I did officially overhear all his conversations while sitting cross legged on the couch opposite his desk while facing the sea and working on my laptop :))
Okay, here is the pic of the view while was sitting on the couch opposite his desk while he was having his meetings.
4. I got comfortable with a dog.
As a kid, I have had strange experiences with stray dogs. So much so, that I started getting scared from them and never let go of that fear. Until recently, when I figured my bro, his wife and daughter have a pet. Obviously I shouted upon entering their home for the first time. Obviously I kept rubbing his head and abdomen throughout our visit. Obviously he licked my feet while I was sitting at the dining table. Obviously I put him in my lap before leaving back for the airport :)
5. Nap!
On Saturday morning, I went downstairs from my bro’s apartment into the amenities area, crashed in one of the senior citizen couch, and napped. While sea stared at me from less than a 200 metres away. Did similar thing in my Abu visit last December. I have never napped outdoors before. It is unsafe, inter alia, of course.
And a part of me believes this is me healing. I do not want to explain how, but if you have gone through something similar, you know what I mean, isn’t it?
6. I experienced SoBo
My bro’s office is in Dadar, home is in Prabhadevi, and I experienced South Bombay, or SoBo as you call it, for the very first time. I have been to Mumbai before, but SoBo is actually cut of an elite cloth. There are no autos allowed, you have your own car or rent an Uber or get a kaali peeli taxi. This part is not “crowded” like Mumbai is supposed to be. And man, every car you see is a Mercedes or a BMW or Audi or something of similar cult.
So far I have always thought why the richest stay in Mumbai, but experiencing SoBo for the first time, I knew the reason why. It is way different from the other areas of Mumbai, and gives a tiny teeny privacy from other areas of the city.
7. The best part of the trip was this:
When I was at my bro’s office and home, I experienced luxury like I never have before. He had a meeting room right next to his cabin (which was huge btw). And a washroom (with shower) with glass walls—in his office, yep! The hall of their home was 8X the size of the 1 room apartment I live in. Every day, I would with him in the back seat of his BMW whose gate I neither needed to open or close, would do so on its own. There was unlimited sea view from his home and office.
But the best part was, when I clicked the above picture and posted it on LinkedIn, my bro saw it and moved me to a place in his office where the Mumbai sunset was the most beautifully visible. (So good that I didn’t want to ruin it with a picture) Not only that, we chatted randomly on the most bizzare things. The next thing, as I was taking in the view of the entire Mumbai city from his office, he stood next to me and taught me the map of Mumbai city. He didn’t need to, but he did! While sipping tea he just ordered for himself. Also, because he knows I don’t drink tea, he didn’t stop to be formal, and went ahead and had it himself without asking me (like a true sibling would :)). We would crack random jokes, at work and at home, and it truly was the best time I have had in a long time.
All of this made me realise I so missed having a sibling! I have three elder sisters but I don’t remember any of them giving me time (even a few minutes) like this like this ever! I am not complaining, but only happy about how good it felt there.
There are some other things too, that took my heart away, which I cover here (goes live at 5 pm IST), just in case you’d like to read more.
Like I said before, there is nothing for you to “learn” in this edition, but sometimes our hearts are so full, we just want to share it out with the world.
Which is what I guess I just did.
That is it, my friend.
I’ll see you all next week
Stay raw, stay real, and never stop reading
Nishtha Gehija
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Instant access ebooks for your reading, and spend some time with yourself:
The Corporate Life Handbook: The book everyone working a corporate job needs :)
The Career Changing Guide: My bestseller so far :)
How to Deal with Heartbreak: Because, life happens :(
Every Writer Needs to Read this: I wish I had this one, when I was starting out as a writer
This is What You are Looking for (Paperback): Small Life Lessons for a Happier Life