I take his hand in mine and rub the back of his palm with my thumb, a gesture he has always enjoyed. Not today. Because he recoils.

Now I am about to enter an unknown terrain Ma, and I feel only you will understand the fear, the joy, the nervousness.. these waves of overwhelming emotions washing over me...

In a society obsessed with bloodlines and family ties, inherited traits and nature versus nurture, however, it was just a matter of time before this rickety house of cards collapsed around me.

“Bhabhi worked before marriage, Ma. You insisted on her leaving her job. I’m not like you, I can’t think like you. That reminds me, Karthik seems to be free now, it’s his turn to mop the floor today. Bye."

It was her mother's lack of drive and ambition that was responsible for the limited canvas of her life, she had decided early on.