What are the challenges that Mumbai faces in its quest for development? Can a balance be made without affecting our environment?” This loaded question effortlessly rolled out by a 12-year-old student when I had visited his school for an interactive session on heritage awareness, centred on my book, H for Heritage: Mumbai. It was an 8.30 am school assembly, and despite the odd yawn and the almost amusing zoned-out moments from a few that I had spotted, this young group of middle-schoolers, had all the right questions to ask. 

I wasn’t entirely unprepared for this age group”s focused thinking and so, was pretty aware that it wouldn’t be a rainbows-and-butterflies kind of Q&A session, especially because with pre-teens and teens they speak their minds and barely hold back. I have by now had a fair bit of experience to expect missile-type questions from these sharp, aware 12- and 13-year-olds, more so, if the subject matter happens to be their home city.