A long time ago, when we had been living on our own in Delhi and lamenting about the loneliness that entailed, a friend had suggested to us, "Why don't you keep a goldfish?" That way, at least we'd have a living being at home to assuage some of our solitariness, she'd explained. And that's pretty much the reason why people practise the hobby of ornamental fish keeping, says Lourdes Fernandes, owner of A Mart Aquatic World, one of the biggest importers of pet fish in the country. "See, sitting in front of an aquarium is like sitting in front of a lake or the sea. It's a stress-relieving exercise that brings you closer to nature. If you have had a long day at work, you come back home and sit before a tank with a cup of tea, you will feel more at peace," he tells us.

Lourdes Fernandes