“I had been getting a lot of requests for a while to turn my spoken word stories into print format. A few months ago, Ananya Prakashan [the book’s publisher] expressed their interest in releasing a book with me. I saw this as a good opportunity and started compiling my stories,” says Sadriwala, revealing that while the book is a mixture of fictional and non-fictional short stories, there are many that he has never performed.

The book, which is written in Hindi, is a breezy read packed with relatable, chuckle-filled anecdotes highlighting the cheek-by-jowl neighbourhoods of the city of dreams that bring together people in chaotic yet wholesome episodes. This writer’s favourite story is Yeh Paani Kaha Se Aaya, where a young Sadriwala is restricted to the maaliya (loft) of his house by his grandmother owing to guests on the floor below; and he feels the sudden need to use the only washroom in the house. His friend Mustafa and he come up with what seemed like an intelligent solution then but leads to him being chased around in the loft unique to the houses in the area by his furious mother. Towards the end, Sadriwala reminisces about the old times, alluding to lost friendships and the ongoing redevelopment plans.  

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Other stories are five-minute reads, and highlight topics like the growth of sports in India, the boundless joy   that the new and first ‘dulhania’ Nokia 6600 brought to his neighbourhood, Mumbai’s street food, and how people in the city that never sleeps were forced to stay inside their homes during the lockdown, and how despite this, they came up with solutions to make a living. 

“There is a huge difference between reading a story and narrating it. My aim was to make the book as reader-friendly as possible. I wanted these simple yet heart-warming stories to reach readers as young as 10-year-olds,” he says.

The book is filled with Bambaiyya flavours and warmth that is a welcome relief in these fast-moving times. If you were born in the 1990s, or in these OG neighbourhoods of the city, you’re in for a nostalgic treat. 

Log on to Ishq Ek Beemari on Amazon 
Cost Rs 120