I arrived in the city of Turin a little after noon on Sunday. I'd been travelling for at least 12 hours, since 11.30 pm on Saturday, which is when I'd left for the airport. Mona and her sister Bhanu had come over some hours earlier to see me off. Before them, Simar, Pallavi and Neus had arrived and left.

They'd come like angels to the rescue, knowing how I find packing to be a slight ordeal, full of indecision about what to carry for European autumn weather. Simar sifted through my selection of clothes like a fairy godmother, sorting out different looks that she was certain I could pull off. She made little stacks, complete with jewellery and shoes and made me take pictures of them. This would save me the trouble of figuring out during my trip what worked well with what. Given her inimitable sense of style, I was glad to surrender to her obviously superior judgment. During the packing, we applied face masks, ate Anjeer ice cream and drank coffee. It was essentially a packing party. As I sat in the cab to the airport I felt so moved by all the love I'd just received, I wondered what I must have done to deserve these miracles of friendship.