We’ve heard Mumbai began on seven islands, before the sea in between them was filled in, and the city spread on top of it. Not many of us know just how much of the Western half of Mumbai is built on reclamations—from Colaba right up to Andheri and Mira Bhayandar. But every year, the monsoon reminds us that a lot of what seems like Mumbai's solid ground was once water—a place where rainstorms met rivers meeting the sea.

In this episode, Raghu is joined by writer Amitav Ghosh, whose books are known for being filled with historical perspective, discovery and insight. The duo discusses the history of cyclones in the city, the toll climate change will take (on the middle-class especially), and what happens when The Big One comes.