November 6. “Button, while people look forward to festivals like Diwali, I dread them.”

“Why?”

“Firstly because I fail to understand why so much noise has to be created by bursting loud fire crackers and cause fear, pain and panic to our four-legged friends. The aged, especially if they are ailing, suffer enormously. The six four-legged babies we have adopted on Carmichael Road and who we go out to feed every night, have disappeared for this period from fear and terror. We found an alsation roaming the streets when my younger daughter and I went out last night. We were told by some of the neighbouring building watchmen that he was a new dog in the locality and that he must have run away from some home out of fear of the disgustingly loud fire crackers.”

“Fireworks are very beautiful visually.”

“Noise is so uncalled for!”

“I was the first to give badididi a hug on her birthday.”

“I saw that. And did you enjoy your afternoon meal?”

“Immensely. You just went to town and everybody hogged and hogged.”

“Hogging is allowed once in a while.”

“I also see you have a bad cold.”

“I do. I think it’s due to the pollution from fire crackers and the construction work that’s been going on in the building for the past three years!”

“Our lungs must be clogged with dust mites, smoke and all kinds of pollutants!”

“Learn to breathe right. Our breathing is very shallow. Your breath must come from your navel. See—like this…”

“But the air we are breathing—whether we breathe shallow or long—is nevertheless polluted!”