New Delhi, Sept. 26 -- In The Beat Report, Mint's journalists bring you unique perspectives on their beats, breaking down new trends and developments, and sharing behind-the-scenes stories from their reporting.

Moving to Mumbai seemed, at first, like a logistical exercise: pack things, find a house, learn the routes, join the office.

The city has a peculiar way of making you feel both late and exactly on time. You can spend 40 minutes getting somewhere that is supposedly 15 minutes away, only to be caught off guard by an unfamiliar skyline and the realization that this is no longer a visit.

I left Kolkata after a year and a half of juggling a master's degree with an evening job at a news desk, carrying what I had managed to compress my...