Treasure Island: Where dreams come true.

Byline: Ambarish Mishra

: Since last Tuesday, Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani has rocked Mumbai's emotional Richter scale. While the stock market skipped a beat and VVIPs made a beeline to Breach Candy Hospital to call on the ailing business badshah, 'pucca' Mumbaikars chose the city's most popular podium- the suburban train-to exchange notes on India Inc's icon.

Mr Ambani's rags-to-Reliance saga has become the stuff of Mumbai folklore. Dare to dream, is the city's mantra, which has powered the visionary's Rs 55,000-crore empire.

Says Ramprasad Yadav, a 30-something cabbie from Uttar Pradesh, "Bahot tagada aadmi hai. Garibi se ekdam top par gaya. Yeh khaali Bombay main hi ho sakata hai'' (He is a titan who has moved to the top from near-poverty. This can only happen in Mumbai).

Yadav tiptoed into Mumbai more than a decade ago to chase his dream-a decent house and a good education for his two sons. The city nourishes such nerves of steel.

Mumbai's clogged streets are paved with stories of courage and crores, grit and gold. A Marathi 'lavani' on Mumbai, penned by Annabhau Sathe, sums it up succinctly: 'Those who will toil and fight in this great city will alter their destinies'.

Lata Mangeshkar did just that. As the family's sole bread-winner after her father's untimely death in 1942, she scaled the peaks of both commercial and artistic success by sheer hard work.