My younger brother, *tombi*, spent six months running from one office to another for his study permit renewal — cost him two part-time jobs and a semester's worth of sleep. Meanwhile, the ones with the right connections get their *cittadinanza* stamped in a week. Makes you wonder who these queues are really meant to punish.

Eight seasons, tombi. That's how long my brother waited for the engineering seat—CET ke result laakli, mana's old joysticks still smelling of the Kabui bazaar internet cafe. And Delhi waited eight seasons for this cup. Now both of us get to tell our mothers it was worth all those nights. Just don't ask me to explain how Cleopatra falls into it—my phone's charger died at 2 a.m. and all I can think of is whether my 4 a.m. auto driver will remember to pick me up from the New Checkon stop.