We were nearing the end of our walk at the historic Sewri Christian Cemetery. It was centred on Bombay's famous folk, its civic bosses and creative minds who were buried on this plot over centuries since its existence. Today, high-rises tower over their tombstones while a thick canopy created by centuries-old trees offer a striking divide between past and the present.

Interestingly, the one-hour experience to flag off the inaugural chapter of Walk with mid-day had extended to well over 90 minutes. The 10-12 participants — all mid-day readers who were picked via a quiz that the paper had carried — didn't seem to mind the extension at all, despite the rising humidity levels as we neared noontime. On the contrary, their queries continued well beyond the stipulated buffer time, over rounds of cutting chai in the asbestos-roofed assembly area.