Srinagar, June 29 -- A 30-something yuppie from Kashmir, a computer geek and a digital nomad, makes money that his parents could not even imagine earning.

In the domain of cyberspace, he is an equal to his peers. The "only" inequality is the skill differential.

Our fellow works hard and achieves parity with the best. In chatrooms, he dons the avatar of a muscular white guy. Females, whether virtual, real, or bots, swarm around him. The money he makes allows discretionary spending. He travels and goes on vacations to exotic places.

But reality collides with his self-perception here.

The white guys he wants to be an equal of do not see him as one of their tribe. Western women listen politely to his philosophizing and so on in exotic loc...