New Delhi, Feb. 8 -- Dear reader,

Born and raised in Lucknow, I've experienced every season in its full intensity-scorching summers, relentless monsoons, and bone-chilling winters. Delhi, in my opinion, is no different-except when it comes to weather extremes, where it's arguably worse. And here's my slightly controversial take: I've never liked winters. Even as a child, they felt more punishing than pleasant, yet there was no choice but to endure them.

As I grew older, I often dreamed of living in a city with milder weather-or at least one where I could escape the cold. That wish unexpectedly came true in January 2021. The first wave of the pandemic was fading, and my post-graduate college in Bengaluru had finally reopened for in-perso...