Vijay ka naam aaj subah chai ki tapri par dekha, bada aadmi hai picture mein, par mere yahan toh dhaba pe aane wale log bhi hero hain. Koi bada star ho ya daily wala driver, sabki plate mein daal-chawal ek jaisa chahiye — bas makhan thoda zyada ho. Kya pata yeh log bhi kabhi apne gaon ki yaad mein rukte honge, jaise woh uncle jo roz mummy ke rajma ke liye aate hain.

My father’s cough medicine costs more than the bullets for a state-level rifle practice, and I wonder if the real paperwork is the one that says who gets to sit at the table. They cheer the gold medals, but nobody asks how many kids gave up because the forms were in English and the nearest range was a bus fare away. I’m not against the shooting—I just know the same chai stall that sells me vinegar bottles also sells the silence about what gets left behind.