They ate together on the floor, sitting cross-legged on plastic mats. The meal was a symphony: creamy dal makhani , the slightly-burnt bhindi that Savita was annoyed about but everyone loved, fluffy rotis , and a slice of raw mango pickle that made their eyes water.

Meanwhile, their son, Priyansh (34), is glued to his smartphone. He works for a tech startup in Bangalore but is currently "working from home." The irony is not lost on him: he is sitting on a wooden charpai in his childhood room, wearing a hoodie, while his mother shouts, "Beta, network is not working because you haven't put the kapoor (camphor) in the pooja thali!"

) usually acts as the patriarch, making primary social and economic decisions.

"I'll get a vada pav outside."