<h2>Holding On Tight</h2>
Commuters at <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/culture/article/where-speed-meets-heritage-mumbais-csmt-is-more-than-a-station-its-a-living-story-23627086" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus</a> brave heavy rain and strong winds under upturned umbrellas.&nbsp;
<h2>Drawn into friendships</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Board-game_e.jpg" alt="Participants at a previous board game event. Pics courtesy/@SnickerdoodleCoffeeworks" width="1280" height="720" /> Participants at a previous board game event. Pics courtesy/@SnickerdoodleCoffeeworks
Swap endless scrolling for sketching and conversation at Do the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai-guide/things-to-do/article/doodle-the-desi-way-23308939" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Doodle</a>, a social drawing event that proves artistic talent is optional. Hosted by Hangoutt Community in collaboration with Community Kaarkhana at Snickerdoodle Coffeeworks in Kalyan, on July 12, the session brings together strangers through Pictionary-style games, quick-fire doodles and laughter.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/1_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
Participants work in teams, guess each other&rsquo;s sketches and connect over shared interests in a relaxed setting. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a social mixer where people can have fun and enjoy a Sunday together. Instead of doomscrolling on a screen, they can drop by, and socialise in a physical space,&rdquo; said Disha Chandak (left), a representative from the caf&eacute;. She added that the event is designed for everyone, regardless of drawing ability. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t need any artistic experience. People meet over niche interests, become friends and often continue meeting through other <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai-guide/things-to-do" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">community events</a>.&rdquo;
<h2>Translating histories</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Shefali_e.jpg" alt="Jayasree Kalathil, Mini Chandran, Shefali Jha and Murali Ranganathan" width="1280" height="720" /> Jayasree Kalathil, Mini Chandran, Shefali Jha and Murali Ranganathan
THE New India Foundation (NIF) has announced the recipients of its 2026 Translation Fellowship &ndash; Round Three, awarding six-month grants of R6 lakh each to four translators. Jayasree Kalathil will translate Adimamakka by CK Janu from Malayalam, Mini Chandran will translate Thoppil Bhasi&rsquo;s Olivile Ormakal from Malayalam, Murali Ranganathan will translate Rahul Sankrityayan&rsquo;s Tibet Mein Savva Varsh from Hindi, and Shefali Jha will translate Ibrahim Hussain Jalis&rsquo; Do Mulk, Ek Kahani from Urdu. Chosen from over 250 applicants, the fellows will bring significant works on indigenous rights, memoir, travel and political history to English readers through NIF&rsquo;s initiative launched in 2022.
<h2>Kate, beyond royalty</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Andersen_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Christopher Andersen
A new biography, Kate! The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will Be Queen (Simon &amp; Schuster), sees royal biographer Christopher Andersen trace Catherine, Princess of Wales&rsquo; journey from a middle-class upbringing to becoming Great Britain&rsquo;s future Queen. Drawing on fresh insights and insider accounts, the book explores her relationship with Prince William, her public role, family life and the challenges she has faced behind palace walls. Rather than a fairy-tale retelling, Andersen presents an intimate portrait of resilience, duty and quiet determination that has shaped one of the monarchy&rsquo;s most recognisable figures.
<h2>Wait ends for Godot</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Godot-4_e.jpg" alt="A view of the interiors and exterior of Godot. Pics courtesy/Mohit Takalkar" width="1280" height="720" /> A view of the interiors and exterior of Godot. Pics courtesy/Mohit Takalkar
Mohit Takalkar is cooking up something, quite literally. After the popular food haunts Barometer and Dehati, the theatre maker has now opened a restaurant in Pune&rsquo;s Shivajinagar neighbourhood. It is no surprise that the space is titled Godot, after Samuel Beckett&rsquo;s famous play, Waiting For Godot.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Godot-2_e.jpg" alt="A Godot-themed cocktail" width="1280" height="720" /> A Godot-themed cocktail
&ldquo;Waiting for Godot has been one of the most intriguing plays in my life, but naming the restaurant after it wasn&rsquo;t about creating a literary reference or a themed space. For me, the play has never really been only about waiting.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Mohit-Takalkar_e.jpg" alt="Mohit Takalkar" width="1280" height="720" />Mohit Takalkar
It&rsquo;s about friendship, conversation, hope and what unfolds when people simply remain together,&rdquo; Takalkar told this diarist. What was it the Bard said about food, music, and love? Play on. &nbsp;

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