The Planter and the Passage of Time !

This post below showed up in the memory today.

“Isn’t it funny how your heart aches and longs for things that are no longer there?
Just a planter, or is it?
I bought it because I spotted the word "Bombay" on it.
It took me back to the streets of Bombay.

Bombay hasn’t been Bombay for over 25 years now.
But it was still Bombay when I moved to the U.S.—and my mind is still there, holding on to a version of the city that no longer exists.

Even the streets have changed. There’s a metro now.
Towering buildings have replaced familiar sights.

And yet, some things remain.
The local train system still carries millions—no exaggeration here.

But even that has changed: more coaches, escalators, elevators on every platform, even an app to buy your ticket.

Everything changes.

Don’t mind me. One word was all it took to trigger these ramblings—but it’s not just a word. It represents my youth.

Bombay is now known as Mumbai; in case you didn’t know.
I’ll keep you posted when I plant something in it.”

Here is the update:

I did plant something in that pot, but I left the tag in, a quiet reminder of a home that is no longer home.

Since the above post, I’ve made another trip back home. Everything and everyone have moved on, yet I’m still stuck in the '90s, the decade I left. Every time I visit, my heart longs to see the familiar streets, the buildings. This time, my husband and I visited our alma mater . Needless to say, it was unrecognizable—except for the hallways where we once wandered. All our favorite hangout spots on campus? Gone.

Time stops for none, it moves forward, it must; places evolve, and people grow—but memories? They have a way of playing with our emotions. That little planter marked Bombay was all it took to take me down the memory lane. To me, it's more than just a pot of clay and soil, It’s more than just a planter. Bombay—a name that holds my memories, my youth, and a version of home that doesn’t quite exist anymore. Change is inevitable— but some words—like 'Bombay’ stay etched in the heart.

I might change the plant that I planted in this pot ; if I do, I will keep you posted.

Thank you for walking down memory lane with me. If you’ve ever felt caught between then and now, I see you. Do let me know in the comments.

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