I am a newspaper junkie, and for a newspaper junkie these are the best of times in Bombay. The reason I am a newspaper junkie is that I find it hard to believe news on television. Some of the news that I watch on television is so astonishing that I accept it only tentatively till I find confirmation in the next day’s papers. I just believe it’s better to see something in black and white before you believe it.

The reason this is the best of times in Bombay is that not only dow we have innumerable newspapers, but morning papers have started evening editions and evening papers have started morning editions. Further, The International Herald Tribune (the IHT, an old favourite of mine) has started arriving at my doorstep at 1 am.

The morning begins at 7 o’clock sharp as the newspapers come in through the post box with a thud. My newspaper man has the uncanny ability to deliver the paper at 7 o’clock sharp, come rain or shine. How he does this is an abiding mystery to me. As I go through the newspapers, one by one, I shout out some titbit of information or other to my wife — about two-faced Martians who walk their dogs on the surface of Mars only at night (would you believe this piece of news if you heard it on TV?) or that the solar system has only eight planets — as she gets ready for work.

Soon it is 11 am and the IHT arrives. It has got fabulous international coverage, a wonderful edit page and terrific cartoons. Just as I am about to finish the IHT, the early editions of the afternoon papers arrive. By the time I am done with them there are no newspapers. So, after a late lunch, I walk across to the Cricket Club of India which has The London Times, The Guardian and other newspapers, although somewhat dated. And so the evening goes by.

... contd.