The Goa Forward Party has declared a promise ahead of the 2022 elections-if its president Vijay Sardesai is made Chief Minister, they will introduce a compulsory siesta hour. While enumerating the benefits of an afternoon nap-clinically proven to improve alertness, memory, mood and energy-the raison d’etre for the proposition was less utilitarian, more philosophical. "Instead of being part of the rat race, Goans like to take it easy, which should not be mistaken for laziness. It (sussegad) is the culture of Goa. Everyone needs to learn from this and respect it." High five! I say.

Andrew Marvell was talking to his coy mistress about sleeping together when he wrote "let us roll all our strength and all/our sweetness up into one ball", but it could also be the day talking to the night about sleep. The afternoon nap is the pithy, witty poem of sleep, the stolen quickie of rest, the daulat ki chaat of repose. It is the condensed version of night, tucked into the middle of the day, like elaichis are tucked into a gulab jamun’s heart, like mince is packed into a potato cutlet’s tummy, like the liquified centre of a hard éclair toffee. Every day may not be a Sunday, but with an afternoon nap, every day can have a little piece of Sunday.