Which year was their debut? When did they leave? When did they come back? No one cared. Time away from the epicentre could not erase their impact. As long as Bombay could claim these beauties are part of its legend, all was forgiven. What will not be forgiven, or forgotten, is the cruel manner in which they were snatched away -- Persis by Yama and Protima by Kailash Mansarover -- on the same day.

And yet it is ironic that in some peculiar way theirlives ran in parallel paths. Both Persis and Protima found solace in spirituality. Successful personal relationships always eluded them. And age was not kind to their beauty. Yet, their ineffable spirit spelt Bombay bonhomie, a freedom-to-be that today's celebrities just do not have. They were the original "bindaas babes" who proved that a state of mind can also be a state of being.

Persis made bald beautiful incidentally, a few years ago, Protima also shaved her head. Protima found dance in her mid-twenties and set up one of the country's most successful dance schools. Later Persis wrote Pride Of India and Protima survived the death of her son Siddarth. Triumph balanced loss, again and again. When the history of the city will be written it will be said that Protima and Persis helped Bombay get rid of its bourgeois hang-ups, creating a unique haven for those who dare to be different. As they did.