The transient nature of our public space

Its weird really.. our malls seem to have taken over our lives. You must be wondering what the reason is behind this venom spewing. I just visited the Inorbit mall in Vashi. It’s Monday afternoon, and its jam packed!! I just couldn’t fathom the reason behind this. I always assumed that most of the people visiting malls during the week must be students, probably bunking their classes for the day in order to spend time with their partners.
To my horror I noticed that most of the people visiting this mall seem to be middle aged, some couples some families even. But what are they doing in the mall on a bright Monday afternoon? Its as if malls have taken over our public space. A visit to the mall has become a regular family outing, where one can feast on McDonalds, Pizza Hut and the likes. Its okay to eat junk, after all it’s a choice that people make. But what’s unnerving is the fact that this seems to be a trend. We seem to prefer overpaying for the food we eat in return for an ambience which consists of air conditioning and good infrastructure.
Earlier the prime areas where the city would congregate in their free time would be the gardens, and the sea fronts. It was that which made Marine Drive synonymous with Mumbai. It was the fact that one could sit with one’s partner near the water front, making small conversations. It cost one close to nothing, but the experience was one that was cherished. This was a trend prevalent pretty much all over the country, wherein such places would entail the development of a local economy wherein hawkers would cater to the taste buds of these families.
Change is inevitable they say, it is argued that people’s preferences have changed. Nowadays one prefers sitting in the confines of a well designed coffee shop, preferring the overpaid coffee over the heat and dust of the outside world. We seem to prefer having conversations with air conditioning rather than feeling the wind on our faces. Of course one still finds people doing that, but these are the ones who cannot afford a Café Coffee Day or a Barista, where the cheapest coffee often costs more than their daily wage.
As one walks into these places, one does feel intimidated, its almost as if that make believe world is challenging you, “prove that you belong here. It entices you, pay your way through, and you can belong to the rich man’s club, albeit for a while. If you can’t, too bad for you, the world is an unfair place, so remember to stay in your league”
These people are of course content walking along the pavement surprised at the fact that there is something in the world which does not cost money, a place where how much they earn does not determine how they are treated. At last a public space which is truly inclusive.