There is no democracy in an Indian house. There is only volume control. Whoever yells "Jai Shri Ram!" the loudest wins the remote. Or, the mother steps in and takes the remote away, turning it to a news channel no one wants, effectively canceling television for everyone.

But they also talk about dreams. "Maybe next year, we can go to Vaishno Devi." Or, "If the bonus comes, we will buy the new fridge."

And it is home.

Long before the honking of auto-rickshaws fills the air, the mother of the house is awake. In a typical middle-class Indian household, her day starts with a prayer. It might be lighting a diya (lamp) in the small pooja room in the corridor or simply whispering a mantra while boiling milk.