“The chai shop became headquarters. Decoration meetings at nine AM. Procurement discussions at eleven. Arguments about the pandal design at two — the specific, passionate, entirely unnecessary arguments that Indian festival committees produced with the regularity of monsoon rainfall. Should the pandal be eco-friendly this year? (Yes, said the school principal. No, said the mandal president, who had already ordered thermocol.) Should the dhol-tasha pathak play until midnight? (Yes, said everyone under thirty. No, said everyone over sixty. The compromise would be eleven PM, which would become midnight anyway because dhol-tasha pathaks did not recognise municipal noise regulations.)”