As they soaked in the quiet, they both wondered for how long Bombay would continue to exude this silent avatar. “You know, my lady, all this seems very surreal, and a bit of déjà vu too. Doesn’t it feel like only yesterday when we were right here, wondering if 2020 would be the last of this pandemic? And here we are, with nearly half of 2021 almost behind us, and we are still asking the same questions,” Sir PM pondered. He went quiet for a bit, only to be interrupted out of that moment by the sound of the tolling bells from the nearby cathedral.

“Whatever you may say, Bombay saw some really bad days and I am so proud of how we fought back,” she said. “Absolutely, Lady Flora. Thanks to our never-give-up spirit, we took it on our chin, and so many authorities, including my former employee, along with the police and other civic bodies, worked in tandem to ensure we didn’t buckle down,” he added, making it a point to ensure that unlike earlier, he was in the thick of things as far as the municipal corporation was concerned. Lady Flora was impressed. “Do you think we’ll tide over this wave and the next, too?” she prodded. “Well, I’m no soothsayer,” Sir PM, chuffed over the importance that was given to his opinion. “The good doctor Viegas warns that we should not get complacent with the fall in numbers. We cannot drop our guard. 

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Instead, the powers that be should learn from the mistakes made in early 2021, and use the time to strengthen our resources and infrastructure.” Lady Flora seemed a tad shaken by all of this, Sir PM could sense in her body language, and so he quickly changed the mood. “I’ve been doing a fair bit of reading, and even had time to brush up on Bombay’s history, a subject I felt I didn’t do enough justice to. And I have the perfectly apt gem to share with you. Did you know we just passed a key date in the very existence of our dear city – it was on May 21, 1662 when the marriage treaty of Charles II of England and Catherine of Braganza, daughter of King John IV of Portugal, ensured that the seven islands of Bombay were handed over to the British Empire as part of the dowry,” he rattled off. 

The dowry connection

Lady Flora was sufficiently distracted. “My word, that’s a fascinating bit of history you’ve shared. I always heard about this dowry connection. Promise to tell me more as we go along. The city has a newfound closeness to me after this pandemic,” she smiled, as the two walked towards the Gateway to watch the Arabian Sea in all its glistening glory. It was one of those evenings they wished would never end.  

mid-day’s Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city’s sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana
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