A Ride on the Famous Worli-Bandra Sea link

So, here my dream comes true…
The first time when the sea link was being made, I had asked my dad… Dad how will the sealink look like? and it would be so much fun to travel on that! With sea all around you and you see those tall buildings on one hand and on the other hand we’ll see the endless ocean! So finally on 6th July, 2009 at 9:45 pm, here I am at the Worli Sea link enjoying my ride only to realize that the trip that usually costs me not more than Rs.200/- has actually costed me Rs.400/- exactly double the amount!!!

But I guess everything comes for a price and so did this joy ride. On my way back from Colaba, I called my friend and told him that I am taking a cab back home… so his immediate suggestions/ question was – are you going via the sea link? And I told him – I don’t really mind that. But then he said – you know the toll might just cost you 200 bucks. I thought again, checked my wallet - had exactly 250 bucks in my wallet and then thought of giving it a skip… hoping that someday when my dad will be here will ask him to take me for a drive there (well he can afford a toll worth 200! ) Then as usual was admiring the view outside. But the sea link was always playing on my mind…Wherever I saw the sea I thought of the sealink. Then as we approached Haji Ali, and like always the driver asked – madam Parla east jaana hai ya west? But this time it was quite earlier since this question reaches to me only when I have crossed Mahim. I told the driver – Bhaiya west jaana hai. I guess the driver was reading my mind and knew exactly what was playing on it… the next question that came from him was – Sea Link se le…and before he could end the question I said YES! That question seemed like you were at the altar with the person you love the most and it’s ‘D’ Day for both of you and the Father asks you – Will u accept ‘x’ to be your husband! Funny… but it was a spontaneous and an obvious answer… but then I was reminded of my friend saying that the toll was 200 bucks… for once I felt...here comes the villain to break my marriage… So I instantly put a question across to the driver – bhaiya toll kitna hai? And his reply surprises me when he says it just 50 buck… I am happy and content…I think to myself…chalu, I have exact money to reach home, what more can I ask for! But there is still a doubt I check again with him stating that one of my friends told me that it cost’s somewhere around hundred (didn’t want to look like a fool infront of him) but he assured me that the amount was 50 only since he had made a trip on that route earlier and he had a receipt too.

So finally I had made the decision that I will go via the bandra-worli sealink. From Haji ali to worli I enquired a lot about the sealink from the driver and he patiently answered all my queries...he seemed like an official spokesperson for any queries on the sealink. I waited anxiously for the worli sea face to arrive and couldn’t take my eyes off the road…didn’t want to miss even one moment, one feeling of travelling towards the moment! So hurriedly, not taking my eyes off the road, I messaged my friend that ‘I AM GOING HOME VIA SEA LINK’. As the sight of that bridge came closer my smile grew bigger and bigger… just couldn’t stop smiling. Cursed every signal that came in the way to the sealink and cursed every car that over took my taxi and went ahead. It was a glorious, victorious moment – the moment the cab entered the sealink. I looked around endlessly, saw the sea the pillars that stood still in those rough water and the waves that crashed on those pillars, the street lights, the speed posts, the radiums on the barricade, the divider, that one policeman sitting on his bike at one corner of the long stretch of road, the police vans that stood near the turning to keep a check on the speeding vehicals. I was completely mesmerized. And then, my phone rang – was never so angry on my phone, than I was today, for once I thought I wish I never had a phone. But it was another friend and I had to share this with him… I was on the much talked about sealink! Amongst all my friends, I was the first one to travel. So I had to get those brownie points… I did the general check with him and then broke the news…his reaction was quite OK types. But anyways I had the time of the lifetime!

But, what begins must always end! And so had the ride on the sealink. Soon I was reaching towards Bandra reclamation. This was another sight to be seen. On the right hand side I could see the city skyline and just besides it was the sea and U were here on the sea link which was in the sea… what a sight…But this sight was there only for a few minutes. Then the toll came and I was confirmed and assured that the toll was only 50 rupees. So I was happy…that a good joyride just for rupees 50. Within the next 15-20 minutes I reached home via the same old congested highway with trucks around you. I asked the cabbie – Kitna hua? And he searched for his meter card and said 350 madam… For once I thought I heard it wrong and I kept numb, asked him again – kitna hua? He showed me the meter card and my jaws dropped! RUPEES 350 from Colaba to Parle-at night-without traffic! I checked and re-checked and re-checked...told the cabbie –bhaiya aapka meter bahut fast hai… itna nahi hota hai…but he relented saying that if you travel by that sea link the ride is ought to cost you more. He seemed like the devil’s advocate at that time. I had no choice but to pay him that amount, had that not-to-be-used 1000 rupees note with me. All heartbroken gave the note to him and took back the change! A little upset, but when in the lift I was overjoyed with the thought of telling my mother that ‘Yes, I came via the bandra-worli sealink!’