The Chronicles of South Bombay (1960s-70s) Page #4

Bombay’s Hidden Heart: A Love That Defied Time and Transformed a City

• History
• Romance
• Short story
• Fiction

								


Ajay smiled, his eyes filled with tears had a shine that Ashok had never seen before, “I was going to tell you that I love you,” he said very quietly, living the victorious moment of their collective action together.

“I’ve felt it for a long time, but I wasn't sure if——”

Ashok didn't let him finish. He pulled him in a quiet corner, putting his arms around him, covering him, and kissed him as if the world was fading away.


The restoration of the library commenced immediately after the court verdict. Ashok and Ajay were at the forefront, discussing with architects and historians to ensure that every detail will be preserved. The process was slow and thorough, requiring months of planning and cooperation. Many newspapers interviewed them and asked them what was the reason that drove them to fight for a brick architecture that had been standing long in silence.

The old wooden stands at the library were refinished, the walls repainted, and the authentic chandeliers were carefully restored. Every inch of the library was being brought back to life, preserving its significance while modernising it for the coming generation.

Ashok spent his days at the law firm and his evenings at the library, watching the restoration. Ajay, who had returned to his studies, was equally involved. He had taken it upon himself to read the series of important journals the library harboured and also motivated his peers to visit it, which would adorn the library’s reading rooms— for the students of history it depicted Bombay’s rich history, from the days of British rule to the vibrant post-independence period.

In other words, they were able to transform the library into a delightful place. The library was no longer suffering from a lack of new books and has clearly overcome this problem and the reading areas are filled again with visitors who come to borrow important periodicals and books. The library also initiated such things as art exhibitions, poetry contests, and debates and became a magnet for the greatest minds in Bombay. It was no longer a stand-alone dreary edifice, instead, it evolved into an integral aspect of the soul of the metropolis – a laboratory of thought as well as an archive of living history.

For Ashok and Ajay as well, they now had a place to go to where they knew there would be less commotion and they could make use of the hidden corners of the reading rooms and have conversations freely. Inside the closed walls and out of the pearly eyes of the society, they were free to be themselves, cry and giggle without concern and make compliments of an intimate nature up to a point they are not able to do outside due to legal provisions. Love that had been concealed between them in the past now had the opportunity to flourish, even if it could only do so within the confines of the library.

As the city continued to expand, with Nariman Point rapidly changing into a bustling financial hub and skyscrapers piercing the skyline, leading to more Foreign Investments and a thriving economy that Bombay was blessed with, Ashok found solace in knowing that parts of the old Bombay would continue to live on. 

“Even today one may visit the library and will not find any mention of Ashok and Ajay in the books, but the library to date stands as a testament of their collective action. And within its walls one can find their traces but not them. Eventually, the old cinema halls, all became a part of Bombay’s living history, constantly evolving but never fully erasing the past. That's the beauty of a collective action of human nature that has led to the protection of the library and awakened the people to the beauty and importance of their surrounding nature. In the aftermath, the decade was remarkable for Bombay as a whole, as the city was in a flux.”

As Ashok often used to walk through the streets of Bombay embracing the spirit it resorted to bring to him. 

“But beyond the colonial heart of the city, in the northern suburbs, a darker transformation was taking place, one that only a few was talking about but felt by all. The rise of the Bombay Mafia, controlled by figures like Karim Lala and Haji Mastan, had begun to cast a long shadow over the Northern part of the city. The decade also is known for Bombay becoming a hub of smuggling, especially gold, as financial regulations being brought by the Indian government led to the output of black markets. What were once the entry points of basic commodities were now entry points of infamous smuggled gold with gangs led by men such as Mastan and Lala. These men, mythic characters in the accounts of the city’s criminal economy, had made their residences not only on gold smuggling, but also on film funding, protection rackets, and suburban real estate in the city’s growing outskirts.”


Ashok and Ajay, who lived in South Bombay, were far from the ascent of the mafia yet close at the same time. The city they love is changing and it is not only because of the process of modernization, but because of crime and corruption. House prices were soaring, and it was not uncommon for the criminal fraternity to be getting involved with inflating the prices, and there were whispers of cash generated from drug smuggling being filtered through the seemingly endless property booms.

Like many others , Ashok and Ajay strived to restore the architecture and cultural references of South Bombay and knew that the city was also being built by unknown people, artists, intellectuals, and developers, as well as criminals. The Bombay for which they were battling was a city of dual realities: The colonial grandeur was standing tall alongside the modern marvellous structures; The creative spirit the city housed was just balancing the emerging draconian structure of organised crime. 

With the sunset falling over Marine Drive there was a silver lining of shine surrounding them, as they sat in quiet, their shoulders touching, a familiar comfort in the nearness that seemed only to be understood by them. This feeling, the sea, breeze and privacy is captured perfectly as they embrace in this scene which belongs to them alone.

Ajay looked away momentarily and his hand reached out and touched the back of Ashok’s hand, and then just lingered there. Ashok let out an easy sigh and felt heat from Ajay not just from the body contact but from the admiration that they both shared. They had fought battles—some public, some private—and had created a world together, even if only in fleeting, stolen spaces.

Looking straight into the eyes of Ajay, Ashok instantly realised – the intensity brought a very subtle change in demeanour and his glance was gentle. For them, their love such that it is a secret, a secret between them, was enough.  Here they had found a unique habitat in a city which appeared to be in a state of a permanent transition. So being with him made Ashok free and as they sat together, knowing they'd always be together it did not feel the burden of the world and all its problems as it is told. It wasn’t just about the place, but how they grew in time and grace. Together, souls began to blend, not just as lovers, but till the end.
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