Devika was getting ready to go to Hisar in Haryana with her parents. It was her grandfather's death anniversary, and her parents, along with the Agarwal caste association in Hisar, wanted to commemorate him by garlanding his statue. Hisar was about 170 kilometres from south Delhi, and Devika needed to survive three hours with her parents. Her grandfather wore many hats—businessman, politician, advocate for girls’ education, social worker and cow worshipper. He also played a significant role in establishing the Agarwal caste associations in Hisar and Delhi.

The fight over Devika's plans for further education in Italy was far from resolved. To make matters worse, Devika had to go to this function that she had no desire to attend. Her mother, Namita, was rushing her to get ready, which further irked Devika. She was being schooled into a life of obligation at the expense of her desires.

Devika: ‘Why do I need to go for this ceremony while Ishan gets to skip it?’ Ishan was Devika's younger brother, who had recently joined the family business.

Namita: ‘You know we must go. Everyone is going to be there. Dadaji (grandfather) was an important man. What would he say if he were alive? Ishan has been coming for the Delhi events.’

Devika: ‘I studied hard so that I could work with Dad in our company, but that is not going to happen, is it?’

Devika said this as she punched the codes to open her safe. She looked through her diamond sets, deciding which one to wear. She was not ready to look at her mother. Keeping busy helped her stay sane—momentarily.