W hen we moved to Borivli East, it was bit of a ‘bore'. In fact, one of my aunts called it a ‘boring pain' (vali is the word for pain in Tamil) to travel all the way from town to Borivli. It almost felt as if we had moved to a village.

Today, Borivli is ‘beautiful' to me. In a city where fresh air and greenery are rare, this is a suburb flanked by nature. Wondrous monsoons Incredibly within an hour's drive, you can be transported from the chaos of the city to serenity and tranquility that spreads out like a green carpet welcome.

Borivli is wondrous during the monsoons. The Sanjay Gandhi National Park turns a brighter shade of green. At the Tulsi Lake, kids sail paper boats. The variety of trees - teak, khair, vad, peepal, umbar neem and karanj - is impressive.

, Occasionally, you can spot the mysterious four-horned antelope scurrying across the forest. Monkeys scamper around.

Living next to the Park has its advantages. It gives us a breathtaking view. Last year, a  panther lost his way into the complex - and what a commotion that was! Should you want to be a city slicker, there are malls and multiplexes within a radius of one kilometre. Bustling with action There is also a lot of action in the west in terms of restaurants, hangouts and the rest.

But Borivli East is still low-key on the culture scene. However it has the green to make up for it.

Today Borivli to me is sunshine, greenery and breeze.

, Even though weekends are the only time I get to relish this luxury and breathe in the fresh air, at least it leaves me rejuvenated.

URL: http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/artMailDisp.aspx?article=20_06_2008_533_001&typ=0&pub=264