I was three when the Asian Games were held in Delhi. We all went to the opening ceremonies, my parents, my uncle, my uncle's friends and me. We were high up in the stadium when Indira Gandhi made an appearance. First a helicopter emerged and flew over the stadium, then I heard her voice, thundering above us. Then we were showered with marigolds, thousands, millions of them. I was three. I remember this. It's one of my first memories. It was the marigolds that got me, the hush and then the applause of the audience. I had never seen anything like it and I didn't yet understand the laws of gravity, of optical illusions, how microphones and speakers worked. I quickly collapsed Indira Gandhi with God because I didn't know anyone else who could make marigolds fall from the sky like orangey-gold rain or appear only in voice. Thundering above. Via helicopter.

It took me years to learn otherwise.