Perhaps it was serendipity that this particular Facebook 'memory' [those little sunshiny kind of reminders that pop up on your timeline every now and then] showed up yesterday morning. It was the link to a story written two years ago about the Esplanade Mansion – that grand old Iron Man-like structure in Kala Ghoda. An existing restaurant located in its ground floor had made extensive repairs and new additions to the historic landmark, in violation of its heritage status. Architects and conservation experts cried foul. The heritage community was up in arms to save this unique building – with its grid-iron framework and rich legacy of once being Bombay's premier hotel where the rich and famous wined and dined, even hosting the likes of American author Mark Twain.

Two years later, and we are in lockdown. Like so many disputed sites or structures where restoration had to be halted midway, Esplanade Mansion awaits its fate as a legal battle ensues. These days, its façade is enveloped in a massive protective net [or shall we say web? pun intended]. It looks like a long, arduous road for this over 150-year-old 'mansion but we would like to keep our faith in our heritage caretakers – conservation architects, urban historians, cultural godfathers, and the common man – all of who have been the superheroes in this regard.