of places and people

I associate people with places a lot. So when I meet someone, who is from a place I am interesting in, chances are that I approach them with a big, happy heart.
Around two months ago, I got talking to someone - a boy who is related to a relative of mine.- as part of an arranged marriage set up. It didn't click down the line due to some reasons. After having detached myself from the situation now, I thought I will blog about it.
So what have I learnt from the experience? I learnt, the hard way though, that the child in me who gets excited by imagining places with magic textures and scents ought to be calmed down.
Let me take you over the journey.
The fact that I was getting to know someone who belonged to a place I badly needed to explore got me thrilled in the first place. As we talked, I imagined all the good things that I could possibly do in the place. More than anything I wanted to taste that which makes Mumbai's inhabitants go crazy about the place. I wanted to know the recipe of the city. My friends who hail from Mumbai swear that no other city could match what Mumbai has to offer and that they would never want to leave the city. These confessions would have added fuel to my curiosity.
Even before getting to know or understanding the person, I had already imagined living in a flat with a balcony that overlooks a sea on one side and the busy road on the other where I could see the city glow in the night lights. I have lived in an independent house all my life, so the thought of living in a flat seemed too exciting to me.
The big bridge and beach roads formed fairy tale images in my head. The street food culture, that the city residents actively participate in furthered my excitement. Slowly, even before I realised it, I got hooked to a place I have never been to. A city that was taking shape in my imagination through memories and stories of other people.
When the arrangement broke off, I felt sad not just because the person I  was talking to all this while had to be forgotten suddenly ( Not quite an easy task!) but I would miss gathering anecdotes about a city- the city of my imagination.