Hurry now, will you!” commanded Lady Flora, egging her friend, Sir PM to speed up walking, lest their friend, Dr Viegas give up waiting and leave Kyani & Co, their preferred adda whenever the duo had to catch up with the good doctor near his home in Dhobi Talao. As usual, it had to do with an extra-long siesta on Sunday that Sir PM didn’t set alarms for. It seemed like an important conversation, when Viegas dialled his friends. He had just returned from a research visit to the City of Joy, aka Calcutta, or Kolkata, like it’s referred to these days.

“There you are…Pheroze, Flora. How lovely it is to see you. I have so many stories to share from my trip. It was so very educational and informative. Yes, the research part was intense, but in my free time, I’d stroll around their landmarks and public attractions; it offered much insight. Particularly impressive was their focus on history, and how they celebrate their homegrown heroes. Mind you, not just Netaji Subhas Bose or Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, but even the lesser-known leaders, cultural and literary icons who made a difference to the city and Bengal,” Dr Viegas shared, sipping on his Irani tea. “This chai is better; I couldn’t warm up to their over-brewed version,” he smiled.