Buoyed by repeat announcements of a Metro connecting Bombay and Thane, I promise my 6-year-old niece that I will take her for a ride the day the Metro is inaugurated, which, by experience, is most likely to coincide with her 25th birthday. She asks, why not earlier? I relent in response to her repeated questioning, and take her to the location where the “Bhoomipujan” was scheduled to take place last year, but was rescheduled to some time, next year. She isn’t overjoyed, and asks, what if the Metro isn’t ready for the inaugural ride on her 25th birthday? Hey, we also see a brand new multi-storey slum settlement in and around the location where the “Bhoomipujan” was to take place; what’s more, the settlement has a temple, too (Mandir wahin banayenge, remember?!) Banners of upcoming high-rises adorn the skyline nearby, advertising “1 BHK at a starting price of Rs.1 crore ONLY (!)”. Thankfully, it’s evening, and I show her the stars; drawing inspiration from those who made the (proposed) Metro announcement, I console my niece: “beta, Mat ro, if not the Metro, at least the girders will be in place”. By the way, Kahin door jab tur (dal) mil jaye, praan jaaye aur bacha na jaye!