This incident happened just before Rakshabandhan: The security personnel stationed at the society gate called to inform that the mehndiwallah (henna artist) had arrived. My daughter had scheduled his services through an app for 8.30 in the evening, but he was running two hours late. When we opened the door, an overworked, exhausted man stood in front of us. We could see he was in no position, physically or mentally, to perform this delicate task. My daughter offered him water and asked why he was so late.

Buckling under the emotional weight he had been carrying, he said, “Madam, since morning, none of the clients adhered to the appointment timing, so work starts late and finishes late. I can’t say anything because they can complain or, worse, give a bad rating. Based on the feedback, the company can block me.”

“I am on the bike all day long for my commutes, get stuck in traffic jams, and wade through water-logging. The company wants everything on time, but it’s not in my hands. When I used to work in the village, the earning was less but people respected me. Now it seems I have turned into a machine.”

Overwhelmed by his plight, my wife and daughter offered him dinner but he declined politely: “It’s against the........

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