I often shudder at the thought of going to the centre of the town – to the illustrious ‘M.G Road’! Who would want to have under-dressed mannequins brazenly thrusting their angular shimmering bodies at them or be proximate to the bellowing machines heaving concrete up the metro construction? Surprisingly the trip didn’t turn out all that bad. A gentle gesture by a stranger certainly made the atmosphere warm, inspite of the nippy Bangalore air.

Standing firmly, yet inconspicuously in the middle of the pavement was a drinking water dispenser sponsored personally by an individual. It stood like a blind spot amidst hundreds who must have brushed against it. I thought of all those who might have seen it as such a relief in the warm afternoon. I felt so proud of that simple contraption, thinking what one would perceive of the city if they came here for the first time.

Warned by horror stories of India, I should think that many travellers see it as an exotic country which comes with a tagline -“Experience with Caution”…. With public amenities a clear lacuna in our social infrastructure, loos, drinking water, grime, pollution and poverty are hot topics! I wonder if anyone noticed this little thoughtful gesture amongst ‘Goa’ fridge magnets, brass Gods, psychedelic bangles and Rs 70/- books stealing the pavement show?