The Dubai I saw from the highway

The first time I landed in Mumbai, I saw the towers of huge companies along the highway from the airport and thought I had landed in Dubai.

Today, stuck in traffic, I saw dustbins overflowing onto the road, litter everywhere, and people begging between the cars. And I wondered: is this what I came here for?

In college, the plan was simple. Get a good job, join a good company, work hard, live well. Nobody told me what it would cost. I used to live among trees and fresh air, with friends and family close by.

Now I live in a far-away city, away from the people closest to me, eating food I wouldn’t choose, walking streets that make me wince.

The skyline from the highway is the brochure. The streets are the product.