‘My friend, this is Mumbai. It is overflowing with people. You will soon get used to this place.’

Asrar smiled and resumed looking out of the window. He looked at the slums along the railway tracks with dreamy eyes and craving in his heart. It was already ten in the night, and he was amazed to see how there was still music and life in those huts. Old men, women and children were sitting outside their houses and were chatting away or busy working. Some houses had dirty old curtains covering their doors. Some doors were open, and he could see the light of the television emitted from the rooms. In a few areas film songs were being played at a loud volume. Young men and kids were dancing away to glory. In a dilapidated house near the track he could see four or five eunuchs standing in the dark, wearing bright, provocative clothes. At a little distance near the senghat tree, he noticed a few shadows. Asrar wanted to see the scene closely, but the train moved ahead. For some time the shining clothes and faces with garish make-up floated before his eyes and later slept in his unconscious. When the train stopped at the Kurla station, Asrar saw many burqa-clad women and bearded men. The men were dressed in a white kurta pyjama. Asrar immediately inquired from his friend, ‘Is this “our” area?’

‘Yes, this is Kurla, this is the area of the Qasais.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean that this area has a good population of Qasais.’

‘But in our village, they generally wear lungis. Do they wear white clothes here in Bombay?’

‘No, no. The ones that you see on the station are Chilyas,’ Dalvi tried explaining.

Asrar was inquisitive. ‘Who are Chilyas?’

‘They don’t watch television. They belong to Gujarat. Initially, they were in the taxi business, but now they have taken to the business of hospitality and hotels as well.’

Asrar didn’t say anything. He resumed looking outside the train.

He was lost in the grandeur of Mumbai. He stared at every tree, house, building, road, hoarding and flyover. The city seemed like an ocean to him which had a lot of hidden secrets in its heart.