Monday, Jun 17, 2013, 12:12 IST

There are some things in life which become a part of your routine and they creep into your system without your knowing it. These then later on inhabit your thoughts and influence your actions. Many days later, when you sit back and wonder what it is that is making you tick, you come upon a Eureka moment and realize that the reason was there right in front of you, yet you were groping around for replies.

Something similar happened to me, some time back. Overburdened with financial, emotional and personal responsibilities, I was losing out the spark in my life, and had become quite lethargic and reluctant towards life. I was on my way to Parel in Mumbai, when I had to take a detour to avoid the traffic. As I whizzed past the canopy of trees, I suddenly realized I needed to stop. I got down, took my slippers off and ran into the green patch. Memories came flooding in, for I was in Five Gardens, the paradise in this part of the Indian commercial hub Mumbai. I suddenly felt the vacuum in my life filling with a different kind of feeling – freedom, love and trust. I realized gradually that somewhere in the process of growing up , I had forgotten to enjoy the small nuances of my childhood, one of them being playing in the Five Gardens near King’s Circle in Mumbai.

Serene, tranquil, calm, and relaxing, this group of five gardens in this beautiful area lying between King’s Circle and Dadar

is one heavenly experience. With the sights of a stray coconut vendor selling coconuts or a peanut seller trying his best to market his product, these gardens provide  Mumbaiites, with the shelter of perfect mother’s love. There is a certain charm about this place which has an innate sense of oneness, peace and harmony.

Today, my daughter is 20 years, but her childhood has been spent playing in these very gardens. I went to the children’s garden and memories came flooding in as I remembered my toddler trying to swing for the first time. The remaining four gardens are well maintained. It is a wondrous sight to go back to the times when my daughter was just three and used to come down the slide screaming in joy. I used to take off my slippers and walk on the grass and today as I did the same, I realized what I was missing in my life. This feeling of being free, of being oneself and of being liberated is the mainstay of these verdant patches. In fact, even today, if you go to Five Gardens in the morning you would find a group of elderly laughing out aloud and sharing the spirit of laughter in the world. You can see groups of boys and girls sitting on the iron rods that form the barricade for the gardens. Women hurrying down in their sneakers raring to finish their morning walk and get back to daily routine and last but not the least, the lovable domestic pets like dogs and cats being led by their masters with great pride.

Yes, Five Gardens has its own charm. As you edge out of one garden you reach the road to Dadar, there is one which leads to the Parsi Agiary, and the third one leads to the magnificent Parsi Colony and with the graceful J B Vacha Wadia school dominating the academics here, you surely would love to be here and spend your mornings in the most peaceful manner. As you see groups of people sitting and relaxing, the simple delights of being in this place are something really nostalgic, charming, and beautiful. I no longer live in the vicinity of these beautiful green shades, which are ready to pamper you anytime you visit them.

Be it the chatter of the elderly women or the spirits of the elderly men, the sights here are nostalgic and still haunt my mind. See those beautiful white haired elderly ladies  a dupatta casually strung across their chest and a small bag carrying their cell phones and other accessories, and wearing sneakers over salwar kameez, or the equally young elderly men who seem to compete with the rest of the younger ones not only in looks but also in spirits clad in a smart tee and shorts complementing their branded sneakers, or the younger lot laughing and chattering, the benches beckoning all to come , sit and relax under the shades of trees planted years ago, Five Gardens is a one stop paradise for all who come here and for all who have lived in Mumbai since long.

I for one love this group of verdant circles near King’s Circle in Mumbai. Do you?