OH my goodness! Is that you, Pheroze? Or has my eyesight worsened thanks to the grime and dust that doesnu2019t show signs of easing, thanks to my nemesis u2013 M?u201d [ Readers should be brought up to speed that by now Lady Flora has decided to not refer to the Metro work and all its woes that have befallen her but collectively call it u2018 Mu2019]. Standing in front of her, her friend and walking companion, Sir PM a. k. a. Pherozeshah Mehta, was sporting dark sunglasses on a hazy moonlit night. She wasnu2019t sure if it was appropriate to chuckle at his new, sort- of fashionable avatar or be the supportive friend, and check if all was well. u201c My eyes, Lady Flora!u201d he exclaimed, quickly adding, u201c Iu2019ve had a rough past few days.
Whatu2019s with the horrendous lighting display all around me. Didnu2019t you notice?u201d Lady Flora hadnu2019t. She was safely ensconced at her vantage position, and thanks to the soft LED light that cast an aesthetically warm glow after sunset, and the crowds that thronged to see her, she was all too busy basking in well, the afterglow.
Sir PM had no such luck. He was resigned to the 360- degreee jamboree in technicolour.
After all, he stood behind the BMC building and faced Victoria Terminus ( now CSMT). u201c It was relentless, Lady Florau2026 and then, just when I imagined that the lighting show would cease to be, it would return with an equally blinding play of colour and light. I had to make do with a blindfold that Viegas was kind enough to lend me when I dropped by his home at an unearthly hour,u201d said Sir PM, clearly affected by his recent experience. u201c The selfie point right in front of your landing must have added to the melee with countless flashes and crowds lining up into the wee hours?u201d added Lady Flora, feeling sorry for her dear friend, and a little guilty that he had to endure a migraine- inducing weekend. His eyes looked tired and troubled, during the brief few moments that he removed his protective eye wear.
She quickly tried to lighten up his mood, u201cu2026 But I must say that after James Dean, this style of dark shades suits you the best.u201d His sullen face cracked into a half- smile, u201c You really think so? You shouldu2019ve seen poor Gargoyle. The fella looked as if he was stuck in a whirlpool, with no place to escape. Perched on one of the gables of the terminus fau00e7ade, I could see him wince in despair as the tamasha ensued,u201d he continued. As they treaded with caution towards the scene of Sir PMu2019s forgettable episode, he noticed that Lady Flora was holding a black eye patch, just in case the need emerged. Luckily, the show had ended, and life had come back to normal. u201c Why insist on these eye- piercing lights? Why couldnu2019t they all simply adopt the kind of sensitive lighting that you had? Would that make us any less patriotic? For the life of me, I cannot fathom this expensive, unpleasant and tasteless lighting show where being environmentally conscious is the need of the hour,u201d he scowled, briefly remembering his plight.
For a change, Lady Flora had no answer; just like so many Bombaywallahs, including yours truly, who are baffled that in such times of irreversible climate change and diminishing natural resources, these mindless, garish displays of wastage of electricity continue to get the nod from the highest of authorities. A drive around most important landmarks in SoBo revealed the same story.
Lady Flora and Sir PM soaked in the view of both landmarks that were now bathed in muted, softer shades. It made for a stunning frame, as the beauty of their Gothic might shone bright.
Just like how Bombay was the first Indian city to have created a blueprint to safeguard its heritage structures all those decades ago, itu2019s high time that the city takes the lead once again to draft strict guidelines to become a 100 per cent eco- sensitive metro, and ideally Indiau2019s first.
mid- dayu2019s Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the cityu2019s sights, sounds, smells and stones... wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @ bombayana Send your feedback to mailbag@ mid- day. com Fiona Fernandez bombay nama City of blinding lights Amid the heady and hideous display of OTT lighting that covered city landmarks on Republic Day weekend, our sutradhaars exchange their personal u2014 albeit contrasting experiences u2014 having been a part of the extravaganza
