The 92-mile drive from Mumbai to Pune took about four hours. As the taxi driver expertly squeezed through the most unbelievably small spaces, the number of knots on my shoulder naturally increased. Thankfully, most of the scenery were very peaceful and pleasant - lush mountains, long tunnels, grass fields, wild flowers, and the occasional monkeys on rail guards.

Since Adam was off to Awayday in Hyderabad with his fellow Thoughtworkers for the weekend, I arrived to an empty flat. First order of business, sleep! The room was so musky that I buried my nose into Misa’s neck, trying to sniff out the perfume I sprayed on her before we left.

I woke up at five in the morning, famished. The three hours wait for the restaurants to be opened was unbearable. Luckily, Kalyani Veg was right outside the complex. Once there, I stuffed myself with Cheese Paper Masala Dosa and the heavenly Mango Pulp.

With a happy belly, I wandered for about 5 minutes each way from the apartment’s main intersection. The inevitalbe encounters with the beggar children were confronting and uncomfortable. The second girl of about ten was carrying a toddler, maybe her sibling or a child her gang leader rented for her as a tool to beg with. She has large burn marks on her face, her neck, and along her arms. At first she slightly grabbed me, then outright started jabbing me with her finger. As I firmly told her “No”, I knew this is only the first of many times I must walk away. I do not know how to help her or the other millions beggars in this country. I do not know if any one can either.

On a happier note, the first purchases from the locals on the way back to the apartment went pretty smoothly - custard apples and guavas. Of course I failed to negotiate (thus the smooth part), but I came home with some of the tastiest fruits on this earth.