05 February,2026 08:27 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Satej Shinde
A Great Egret fishes for worms in the saltpans of Bhayander as the setting sun paints the waters a dark shade of orange
Cyclists under the Pink Trumpet trees. PIC COURTESY/CHIRAG SHAH
The Pink Trumpet flowers along the Eastern Express Highway are drawing in some unlikely visitors to local cyclists' usual route. Chirag Shah (below), who led his group Wheels & Barrels on a ride early morning on Wednesday shared, "We were surprised to see children, families and photographers by the dozen along the route.
The cherry on top was a couple who showed up for a pre-wedding shoot under the picturesque trees. The craze is unprecedented. We're hoping at least some of them return in running gear or on wheels soon. The Vikhroli stretch of the highway is an excellent running track. One of the best you'll see in Mumbai."
Revenge will be served cold (and stinky) this Valentine's Day, thanks to the cats of Versova. A unique initiative by the Cat Café Studio is looking for heartbroken lovers who have unvoiced hate messages for their toxic ex-lovers. Team member Pooja Iyer (above) revealed that the messages will be written down on notes, and carefully placed on freshly collected piles of cat poop from the litterbox, before being ceremoniously tossed in the trash. "We have received some hilarious messages from across age groups.
âTo the epic sh't we did together', âRot in the bin, a''hole', âFor your disappearing act', âThank you for leaving. It's the best thing that's happened to me', âWish you a very stinky Valentine's Day' are some of the more memorable ones," she revealed. The cat-hartic release comes at a cost: A R100 fee that will go towards the welfare of the cats. Those keen to participate can log on to @catcafestudio. "We'll send you a video of the complete act so you can rewatch it on bad days," Iyer assured us.
Amit Kumar Sharma promotes his film onboard the local train
This diarist had to rub his eyes in disbelief when a bridegroom dressed in full desi wedding attire, complete with a garland of currency notes, politely asked to sit next to us on a local train. Were we witnessing a runaway groom on the loose? Or had we inadvertently become part of a Bollywood rom-com shoot? Our fellow commuters seemed equally perplexed. The suspense finally broke when he pulled out a signboard - a plea to watch his new film 1982 A Love Marriage. Turns out it was actor Amit Kumar Sharma promoting his new independent budget flick. Come to think of it, we wouldn't be surprised if grooms started ditching horses for fast locals, given the state of Mumbai's roads and streets.
(From left) Sunil Chauhan gives Gurcharan Singh a walkthrough at the Kala Ghoda gallery. PIC COURTESY/SUAN ARTLAND GALLERY
It is a special day when a modern master casually walks through the lanes of Kala Ghoda. For gallerist Sunil Chauhan, it was such a moment when artist Gurcharan Singh walked through the doors of Suan Artland located in the art district on Monday. "I had invited him to the opening day of the exhibition, Nature Scapes by Bengaluru-based artist Vaman Pai. Unfortunately, he could not make it, and dropped by when he passed by the gallery on Monday," Chauhan shared. The courtesy call aside, the 77-year-old master might have his own reasons. "He mentioned in passing that he is planning a large-scale exhibition in Mumbai later this year," the gallerist revealed. Suffice to say, we shall be ready for it.
