New Delhi, May 9 -- In December 2024, Arnav Narula's right knee began showing signs of mild weakness. Young, athletic and resilient, he dismissed it as a strain. By January 2025, he had moved to Adelaide for a master's degree in marketing, walking upwards of 12,000 steps a day. The discomfort in his knee felt like a minor inconvenience, and nothing serious.

The rupture came months later during a visit home to Mumbai for Ganesh Chaturthi. Between festive rehearsals and family celebrations, he joined a casual game of badminton. Mid-rally, his right knee gave way. This time, he fell and could not stand. "It wasn't just pain," he says. "It was the feeling that my leg wasn't responding." An MRI confirmed a bucket-handle meniscus tear and a to...