"Why have you got me here, Pheroze? Isn`t it off our usual trail route for this evening?" Lady Flora was always keen to know the whys and hows of everything, and this time, she noticed that they were heading towards the end of Apollo Pier, the stretch of land that jutted into the harbour`s waters, towards the Gateway of India. Sir PM should have known he`d be questioned by his friend. "Oh yes, My Lady… I thought it would be nicer to ease you into this detour that I have planned for you," he tried to build up his case, mainly to avert any possible annoyance that could come from her end.

109 years ago...

Once they reached the landmark, Sir PM halted, turned towards her and said, "Lady Flora, do you know why we are here today? It was 109 years ago to this day [January 10] that King George V and Queen Mary departed from India`s shores from this point, after they had arrived in India the previous year to attend the Delhi Durbar. At that time there was no Gateway as you see it in this avatar, and…" Even before he could speak any further, Lady Flora interrupted him, "Really! This is truly insightful information. My sincere apologies; please carry on." Sir PM continued, "So, as I was saying, this was a makeshift structure built much before the present-day landmark. A famous historian told me that an iron shed once stood here, built in the style of a Mongol tent, and it became a shelter for seafaring passengers in the early days of the British rule. Then, just before King George V`s visit in 1911, this shed was haphazardly replaced by a pavilion of white Plaster of Paris. The King and Queen departed from the same temporary structure."