IT IS A WONDERFUL time to be in Delhi, the winter. A time to be outdoors; picnicking, visiting tombs and sarais, attending plays, exhibitions, reading a book in a sunlit park or watching a late night film. With the Oscar nominations announced, expect a few of the nominees in the best film category to hit the Indian theatres. In such a beautiful, calm time, does fear have to be our companion? The young woman who lost her life to a singularly brutal act of violence left the earth for a better place (I sincerely hope). With her demise all our false notions of being safe in the city were torn away. If the incident showed the heinous side of our city, reactions to it kindled hope. When I saw young and old, men and women, take to the streets demanding a right to safety, a right to walk where and when they please, freedom from platitudes, and sought better governance—I believed there was hope yet. This messy city of mine is all encompassing and all caring; it accepts the human and the inhuman. My city of contradictions is beautiful and terrible and naturally, some people are taking pleasure in vilifying it. But there is a heart—ancient and strong—that beats within Delhi. If you talk to historian-cum-author William Dalrymple, you would know just how soon it got to be the “home away from home”. The author who launched his latest book recently is on our cover in February. Effervescent and precise, we caught him in a rather tight time. Yet he was generous with his time, thought and ideas. DW was a part of the Jaipur Literature Festival, which concluded some days ago, and our team was genuinely impressed by Dalrymple’s energy and focus. Read about what keeps him ticking on Page 12. Another treat in waiting is the in-depth chat we had with veteran actor, playwright and dramatist M.K. Raina. We talked to the thespian about stage, scripts, work and life around a time when the NSD Drama Festival was on. It was heartening that we actually managed to catch him in an especially busy hour. As usual, we have strived to get you a mix-and-match of fact and fun. There is the Social Agenda section with the brilliant Tushar Kanwar writing on “how to make office stuff go viral”. Our columnists this month are Ashok Malik and Jai Arjun Singh. Their analysis of the recent crime is thoughtful. Do read and let us know how we can make our issues better. In the meantime, be the best that you can be.