In most Indian homes, the day begins before sunrise. The earliest riser is often the grandmother or mother. Her actions set the tone:
Board exams (10th and 12th grade) are not a student’s problem; they are a family crisis. The house goes into "silent mode." The television is unplugged (literally hidden). Neighbours whisper. Mothers perform special hawans (fire rituals) for concentration. The pressure is communal, but so is the support system.
Neha, a newlywed in a Delhi joint family, shares a wall with her in-laws. She and her husband whisper to avoid being heard. On the other side of the wall, her father-in-law is snoring like a diesel engine. In the next room, her nephew is watching Pokémon on a tablet with the volume full blast.