As the world stepped into unfamiliar terrain with the pandemic, many discovered insightful avenues that offered respite, often, in the form of beautiful distractions.

Early in the lockdown, while browsing on Twitter, we stumbled upon the eye-catching artworks that Charlie Mackesy, a British illustrator and author had shared on his handle. Four characters — the boy, the mole, the fox and the horse  — became our virtual friends, and their wisdom, built around adventures in a forested setting, were our go-to sanctuary. He won fans in India after he created a special artwork in the darkest days of the pandemic.