Sir PM was gulping down gallons of water, Lady Flora could gauge from a distance that he was just back from a not-so-nice trail in some far-off part of the city. “Now go easy on the water, Pheroze. There are no restrooms nearby,” she advised her friend. “That’s exactly my point, my Lady. We are supposed to be a ‘world-class’ city and yet basic facilities are still woefully inadequate. I’m beginning to wonder if we will see a turn for the better, from an overall perspective. I trudged all the way to Dharavi earlier today, simply because I wanted to hear what the opposition leader had to say about his ideas for India, his vision and policies; it’s good to listen in when Delhi biggies come down to speak to Bombaywallahs. But goodness me! The experience was a nightmare—roads were blocked, traffic was clogged at vital signals, and valuable time was lost due to absence of proper signage, traffic management and crowd control. I barely got to hear the man and his sister speak. And imagine, we call ourselves India’s premier city, and whatnot,” huffed Sir PM.

“But Pheroze, isn’t this a common occurrence whenever there is a political rally in the city? Why are you particularly agitated this time?” his friend asked. “I feel a sense of helplessness has crept in; and it’s not just me. My friends, neighbours, former colleagues… they all feel that urgent action is the need of the hour but things have moved too slowly and casually. Accountability is amiss, and goof-ups like that incorrectly-aligned bridge in Andheri, are now shocking realities where citizens have to bear the brunt. Proactive strides occur in spurts, either the cosmetic way when, and you’ll recall this, those many international 20-leader sessions that were held in the city, and now, as we face another election, we see the openings of half-complete projects,” he thundered, adding, “It breaks my heart to see how this city has been stretched in all directions; our city isn’t given the sustained, wholehearted attention it deserves. Opening up sea bridges and ‘undersea’ tunnels aren’t enough. It’s the poorly-maintained and ongoing civic infrastructure on land, in the island city and the ever-expanding suburbs, that needs urgent looking-into. I also believe certain colonial-era railway stations are being renamed. What purpose will it serve? Why not channel the money that will be used in this process to instead improve urgent civic works?”