I grew up watching dilwales chasing dulhaniyas, sindoors and saat pheras, and no matter how progressive I chose to be in my real life, when it came to being a bride, I was as clichéd as a Yashraj film. All I wanted was the perfect red saree.

The father is often an absent figure in a young girl’s journey to womanhood. If mothers can talk to their sons about puberty, why can’t dads talk to their daughters about their period?

I’ve spent many nights looking at the shiny shadows of women trying to make a living in the city’s alleys. They made me curious, but stepping into their shoes turned out to be a whole different story.