New Delhi, Aug. 31 -- The incident happened just before Raksha Bandhan. The society gate called to inform Mehndi Wallah had arrived. My daughter scheduled him through an app for 8:30pm, but he was running two hours late. When we opened the door, we encountered an overworked, exhausted man in front of us. We could gather 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.

He cracked under the emotional weight, complaining of overwork, long hours and constant threat of bad ratings. "When I used to work in the village, the earnings were less, but people respected me. Now, it seems I have turned into a machine," he said.

Overwhelmed by his plight, my wife ...