India, May 10 -- Dear Reader,

Amidst all the tense talks of war, I find a quiet spot.

A blaze of blue and yellow before me is Zubeida Mahal. Beside me, the Parel Railway Colony. And in the distance, a fisherman's boat floats gently on a light blue sea.

I am in Jehangir Art Gallery, in the heart of Mumbai's Art Deco district, taking in artist Mena Malgavkar's stories of the city. Her works-a mix of acrylics, watercolors, and pen-and-ink sketches-capture Mumbai's little moments: laundry strung across balconies, the glint of a kirana store's jars, ancient doorways and wrought iron balconies.

Here in this peaceful little art gallery-a quaint space that was once the cafe Samovar-I drink in views of my city: It's a city I've lived in for th...