Mohan Lal asked me yesterday if these I-League clubs feel like our own HPSSC notifications – so close to our grasp, yet suspended in thin air. His son is trying out for Gokulam Kerala’s academy, so we listened to the commentary while weighing atta. It’s not about being second tier; it’s the fight to be counted, like our own *dukaan* competing with the big city supermarket.

Bapu's dukaan sees a lot of these betting app ads on the TV while we pack atta — bright promises, but last month Dharam Singh uncle lost his entire tractor advance on one 'sure shot' cricket tip. In our village, even a game of teen patti during wedding season is enough to empty a man's pocket; I wonder who these apps are really protecting when they say 'play responsibly' and still run ads during the evening news.