PHEROZE! I was hoping that we would meet mid-week; no message, nothing…?” It was a loaded statement from Lady Flora directed to her friend, Sir PM. He looked surprised as usual, and jogged his memory to figure if something major had slipped his mind. It was a block. Unable to bear his puzzled face any longer, she began, “Well, if you must know, March 8 was observed as International Women’s Day. People tend to celebrate us on the day; though I personally feel it shouldn’t be relegated to just one day of the year. Gifts poured in from all sides; my favourites included the delicate hairpiece that the kind Captain gifted me all the way from Poona’s finest jeweller, good Dr Viegas, who couriered a flower vase, while ole chappie, Eddie (Edward) sent across the freshest seasonal flowers from Victoria Gardens via Percy. It was quite the spread around my pedestal last Friday,” she boasted, while sipping on chai, as a gentle breeze enveloped the Cooperage Bandstand. Sir PM was cross with himself for missing the date, and worse, this aftermath that he had to hear about.

“I apologise for this miss. No excuses. Is there anything I can do to make up for it?” he pleaded with his friend, hoping she would blink but knowing her, he felt that the moment had passed. Just then, the opposite happened. Lady Flora decided to make the most of the request, “Very well, I have a suggestion, Pheroze; a list, in fact. I am a visionary woman, and a true Bombaywallah at heart, irrespective of what some people might say. I feel you can intervene on behalf of the gutsy women of the city,” she trailed off. Sir PM was surprised but decided to blindly agree to offer his support. “Please, by all means, go ahead and share your thoughts,” he said.