At the Jaipur Literature Festival, Javed Akhtar's exasperated response to a query about Urdu and Sanskrit revealed a lifetime’s reverence for words, their history, and the folly of linguistic rivalry.

Las Americas Restaurant is tucked away in the middle of a strip mall, so it’s easy to miss, but don’t give up even if it takes a few double-backs to find it. Yet, hole in the wall is not an apt ...