"I see you are more than adequately equipped to handle the city's monsoonal angst, Lady Flora. Those tall gumboots seem like quite the effective support to wade through our roads and streets, considering my former bosses have failed miserably all over again in their "efforts" to save the city from drowning. Lady Flora noticed that her friend Sir PM gestured to show quote marks when he uttered the word, effort. He was clearly quite upset that he had to witness the predicament and trauma that his citizens had to face from his pedestal. "I agree, Pheroze," Lady Flora nodded, adjusting her rain gear that included a dainty parka. "Their priorities are elsewhere – in making grand plans to make it a world-class city; god knows, how these plans will materialise when the basics are in such bad shape. Oh, and these aren't gumboots, but Wellingtons. My cousin packed me an early birthday gift all the way from London. Quite the classic, right?"

But, Sir PM's mind had moved on to other pressing concerns that had grabbed his attention. "I really don't know how many reminders need to be given to them about the city. Everyone pays their taxes, yet I can see the plight that they have to endure every single monsoon, in particular." He was in one of those moods, Lady Flora could see. "Pheroze, I heard this ridiculous claim recently where the babus in the building shared that there were only 100 potholes in the city! Lady Flora had counted at least 10 as they proceeded towards Kalbadevi for a change of route on their midnight walk. It was a false claim by the BMC, she realised. 'Silly me, for believing them,' she told herself.