The creepiest part of the death of 26-year-old Ketan Agarwal, allegedly murdered by his fiancée, Siya Goyal, 22, and her paramour, is the tearjerking video she posted on Instagram soon after his death. Agarwal was serenading her with a gigantic sunflower in a car filled with colourful bouquets. The roof opened to reveal gorgeous stems above as well, and the lyrics of Aankhon mein teri ajab si ajab si adayein hain played romantically in the background. The footage moves to the (ostensibly) happy couple close dancing, in this carefully orchestrated, made-for-Insta proposal. (In the light of facts emerging, a chilling reminder of the frightening gaps between projection and reality.)

Time will reveal if Siya Goyal really shoved Ketan Agarwal off a cliff. But his sordid end points to the disturbing performative pressure around engagements, driven by the “For-the-Gram” culture, a puzzling phenomenon inexplicable to anyone over 40. Since I am of the age where many of my classmates and friends’ adult children........

© Indian Express