The drive to Market Yard was peaceful - the kind of peaceful Pune gets, first thing in the morning, with minimal people on the streets, and the constant honk-honking of vehicles replaced by the pre-dawn hooting of cuckoos. Unlike Mumbai, Pune as a city likes its sleep. Traders and ordinary folk alike have afternoon siestas, and apart from those pockets of the city that play host to clubs, most people like an early night. So, at that time of morning, Pune feels like a town unt

Indians have come up with a very simple and genius way of using common nouns rather effectively. We use words like ajji (grandma), kaka (uncle), dada (brother), or tai (sister), to address practically anyone who fits the general age bracket. Traditionally, it may have started because it is considered more respectful to address someone as kaka, rather than call them by their first name, whereas using Mr so-and-so would be too formal; and us Indians like a bit of loveable infor