The Illusion of a “Breakfast Ride”
We booked for a “Breakfast Ride – Sunday Morning.”
And honestly? I thought — okayyy… we’ll be hopping from one breakfast house to another in Worli.
Yes, I admit it — the Gujju girl in me after all!!. 😄
But this ride wasn’t about hopping cafés. It was about crossing something deeper.
The Beginning: 6:30 AM at Worli
We gathered at Babasaheb Ambedkar Maidan
Cycles lined up ….I picked mine. My rented “Dhanno.”
And then, we rode.
Past the silent blessings of Siddhivinayak Temple, through Prabhadevi’s quiet roads, toward the breathtaking stretch near the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. Mumbai — my forever chaotic Mumbai — was gentle today, the city that usually roars… whispered today.
The breeze was kind. The Sun wasn’t yet fiery! The air felt generous.
We cycled along Worli Promenade, all the way toward Haji Ali Dargah, stretching toward Nariman Point — that familiar dead-end where the sea meets the sky on one end and your thoughts the other!
We stopped often. Afterall, it was a long ride after a loooooonnnngggg time.
The best part was that no one was racing, no one was chasing speed. Each one on their own with speed and masti! We were simply… moving.
The Breakfast That Felt Shahi
And then came breakfast.
We ditched the coffee house recommended by the tour guide and landed at a simple nearby hotel serving South Indian food — our forever favourite. Fresh orange juice and a plate of steaming hot idlis-sambhar that we shared (we decided not to go overload-we had to ride back!)
After that ride, it tasted like shahi bhojan. How does effort transform ordinary food into luxury, I thought to myself!
The Five-Minute Ride That Felt Heavier
The return stretch to Babasaheb Ambedkar Maidan was barely five minutes. Yet it felt loftier than the entire ride earlier. We waved goodbye to fellow riders and the two young guides.
And then caught the Aqua Metro back home.
The Reflection
Since 2025, life has felt like a RUN. Blink — and the year flew.
2026 already feels like it is sprinting too.
But today…
For the first time in a long time… Time didn’t run.
Each hour — starting 5:30 AM — actually felt like an hour.
As if Time itself had taken a breath. As if Time itself paused and said,
“Today, you may experience me fully.”
What the Ride Taught Me
We often believe slowing down means falling behind.
But what if slowing down is the only way to truly live?
Sometimes healing is not a breakthrough therapy session.
Sometimes it is cycling through your own city before it wakes up.
Sometimes clarity doesn’t come from doing more.
It comes from feeling more.
A dear friend beside you.
A rented bicycle.
Two enthusiastic young guides.
The early-morning sea breeze.
The gentle Sun.
And Aamchi Mumbai — quiet, dignified, and in grace!
It feels like this Sunday, I didn’t just ride across the city. I rode back into the presence.
And for a few rare hours, Time stopped running.
Have you experienced something similar?
I would love to know your story!
