I walk on the erstwhile Queen’s Way (Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar Road now) to reach the gates of Haffkine Institute in Mumbai’s Parel on a rainy morning. The security person signals me to enter as the MTDC (Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation) guide waves at me. In the peeling ceiling of the building’s lobby its age is somewhat palpable. Today the door to the museum opens exclusively for the six of us. “Welcome to the Haffkine heritage walk,” the guide greets. In 1896, bubonic plague epidemic broke out in Bombay. Ships arriving at Mazgaon brought the plague from Hong Kong. In the wake of the plague, Russian-French bacteriologist Dr. Waldemar Haffkine was summoned…