Stay away from the crowd — it has perhaps been the only advice we have taken seriously. That's why we've always avoided hanging around Mahalaxmi station, where all eyes and camera lenses drift towards laundry levitating in the sky. So, when we hear of a viewing gallery built by the station, it baffles us. Because, where else do you get the luxury of free space in Mumbai?

We step out of Mahalaxmi station and in less than a minute, we spot the curved balcony that extends off the bridge. It's crowded on a weekday morning. There is no restriction to enter, even though there is a security guard seated by the entrance. Because the gallery is at such a height, it offers the visitor the proximity of seeing the workers carrying out various tasks at one go — some are by the flogging stone, others man mechanical washing machines.