Last week, I had an epiphany. It wasn’t one of Biblical proportions. But, it did drive home a few harsh realities about the city we live in, and what we can [or cannot, in this case] offer our children who are growing up here.

I was at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMV; formerly Prince of Wales Museum) for a walkthrough of their new exhibition a day before the museum was to reopen after nearly a year. The glass walled structure designed by Rahul Mehrotra and his team that houses the children’s museum within the site, is the ultimate example of nature and structure being in full synchronicity. It reminded me of an oasis in the middle of buzzing Bombay. A robust tree within its interiors seamlessly offers a slice of nature, as sunshine and foliage play a game of hide-and-seek. The exhibition is a meticulously documented timeline of man’s age-old connection with nature. The displays were a delightful exploration, and by the end of it, I could safely vouch for the fact that even the not-so-young visitor will be sufficiently intrigued. Outside, the vast lawns were being given their final manicure. During our time there we also learnt that these swathes of green would actually be open to visitors to make an outing of their time at the museum. After being cooped up in their homes for so long, the museum authorities felt they could offer some much-needed fresh air and downtime in the outdoors.