Hindus, for all their deep spiritual inheritance, often miss the wood for the trees. There is no formal structure of teaching these profound philosophies — neither in schools nor in most homes. What remains are rituals, festivals, and fragments of scripture — practiced without context or contemplation.

Smriti Deshmukh, 34, consultant by day, cynic by lifestyle, was running late from her client’s office in Marol. Her Wadala flat was a solid hour away, even without the traffic.