January 20. “I just finished putting the final touches to my letter to my younger daughter. You know it’s her birthday tomorrow.

What I also do every year on both theirs as well as Dost’s birthday is write a letter or whatever comes to mind. Before leaving for Goa I had drafted my letter to my younger daughter which I printed just a minute back once I was satisfied with what I had written. I don’t have a clue how or when this idea caught on but I’ve been doing it for quite some time now.”

“That’s nice. And very unique I must admit. Have you bought a gift for her?”

“I have. It’s something she wanted.”

“So you and Dost got back from Goa this evening? Did you have a nice time?”

“I don’t know about Dost but I most certainly had a lovely time relaxing, reading, watching movies, going to bed early and, basically chilling out—something I don’t get to do when I am in Mumbai. In many ways, Mumbai is a city that doesn’t allow you to sit idle. You’re riding a roller-coaster all the time. I mean it’s amazing—the city pulsates with unadulterated energy 24/7. Hordes of people come here every day with ambitions and dreams. You don’t get that kind of high from anything anywhere else in the world.”

“I agree. Mumbai is a fantastic place to be in even if it means that you are walking a tightrope all the time. That again has its highs and lows.”