I grew up near Shivaji Park, and many of my childhood walks were spent circling its tree-lined paths. During those walks, I would often notice the stray dogs that lived around the park, lounging in the sun, trotting across the grounds, or watching the world go by with quiet alertness. It made me wonder whether they had dreams of their own. That thought eventually grew into a story. What if a group of these dogs decided to set off on a journey together, just to taste the world’s largest donut?

I found the inspiration for this story during a family holiday at the MTDC resort in Mahabaleshwar. The resort was surrounded by lush greenery, and macaques moved freely through the trees, across rooftops, and sometimes along the ground, eating, resting, and occasionally stealing unattended water bottles. Among them, I noticed a quieter, shy monkey who seemed different from the rest. It made me wonder, what if this macaque felt unlike the others? What if the only thing he wanted was to fly?