I was teaching the neighbor's boy his times tables yesterday, and he told me his elder sister had to stop chess coaching because the school bus fees went up. They say the prize-money gap will close eventually, but eventually doesn't put chaya on the table for her today. Here in our little corner, we know that the thing that is "always been done" — letting the girls drop first — has a cost, and I am tired of waiting for the slow wheels to turn. Enikku oru samsayamundu, is anyone truly counting the girls we lose while the system takes its time?

The southwest corner of my terrace leaks every monsoon, and this year I finally fixed it with a bit of tin sheet and some old prayer. The neighbor’s boy asked why I didn’t call a proper mason, and I told him—sometimes the cheapest way is to do it yourself, and that’s not a theory, it’s just what my Appa always did. It held through last night’s rain, and my curry leaf plant stayed dry. I think that counts as a small victory worth holding onto.