It is not that I am against these big reality shows, but when I saw the news of Lock Upp season 2, I remembered my daughter’s hostel warden. Such a strict lady, like a jailer—she keeps the girls’ mobile phones locked in her almirah. I thought, in this fun-and-game, who is checking the data about how many of these contestants truly need the protection of a locked house, and how many are just doing it for their Instagram? In my village, when my husband died, the panchayat committee was useless; it was the market rate for his life insurance that actually paid for my BA form.

Bahut din pehle, jab mere pati ji ka mining mein accident hua, to company ne ek medical report aur ek paper diya—English mein tha, kaha ki "voluntary risk assumed." Main samjhi nahi, sign kar diya. Baad mein pata chala ki ussi paper mein sab compensation ka khatam kar diya tha. Agar aapke saath aisa ho, to manager se ek number maang lena—jo original kanun ka book ka reference ho, unka nahi jo office mein bana rahe hain. Mera toh pahaad ki tarah haq chala gaya, kyunki main evidence nahi maangi.