In accordance with my wishes, my father, Syed Farzand Husain, took me with him for the first time in a Conga to admit me to the arts college in Lucknow. Halfway during our journey, we were engulfed in heavy rainfall. And as soon as the Tonga came on the Dali Gunj bridge to cross the Gomti river, I could see the magical view of the rising minarets and the domes of historical buildings in the pouring rain. I was mesmerized.

I was unaware when we crossed the bridge and the narrow strip of the road, with its cover of trees. The Tonga came to a halt with a sudden jerk and it was then that I came to my senses. The gate of the arts college was right in front of us. My father’ black sherwani, his black cap worn with finesse and my attire, which I had put on with a lot of care, had all been sacrificed to the intense rain. Ignoring my father’s concerns, my inquisitive eyes went straight through the gate as I soaked in the magnificent life size sculptures displayed on the lawns.