India, Sept. 19 -- Last week I visited Mumbai after an absolute age to attend an exhibition dedicated to the pottery of my late mother-in-law, Vimoo Sanghvi, one of the leading ceramic artists of her time. As I circulated among the guests, I came upon a journalistic acquaintance who I hadn't seen in ages. We had barely exchanged pleasantries when she went off into a diatribe about how much she hated Delhi. "It's such a jenani city," she sniffed.

I was a bit bemused. Do you mean that it has a feminine energy, I asked. Oh no, she responded, "it's just so aunty, if you know what I mean."

Honestly, I had no idea what it meant except that it wasn't supposed to be complimentary. So, I just laughed and responded, "Well, you know, I am happy to...