There's a building called Raj Mandir at Versova in Andheri West, that's adjacent to a tree-lined street. It's eight floors high and the tops of these trees are just below eye level from the terrace. That greenery is speckled with white migratory birds in this period of the year. A flock of them make their homes on the branches, laying eggs in makeshift nests to add to their breed. It's a complete takeover of the treetops. These birds survey the scene like they rule the roost. This writer knows that because he lives in that building. And the sight was a feast for the eyes, the one time during the lockdown that access had been given to the terrace.

These encounters with the local fauna are possible across Mumbai, so what if we are tied to the confines of our vicinity? It doesn't matter if forests like Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) are inaccessible right now. Most people don't even go there for the wildlife, says Shardul Bajikar, naturalist at SGNP. "What happens in my experience is that visitors usually just want to be out in the greenery. It's only when they talk to the guides and experts there that they fall in love with caterpillars, for example. We open up a window for them that says, 'Haan, aisa bhi hota hain,'" Bajikar says.