You'll always have mummy-papa bank

When Budhi Ballabh Upadhyaya returned home to his village in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, 'for a short while' after 46 yrs as a sadhu, and asked his mum for alms, he wasn't breaking tradition. He was simply following the great Indian banking system known as 'Mere Paas Mummy-Papa Hain'. From the 'Ma, I need money for a geometry box' to the 'Dad, I need seed capital for my startup', the Indian parent remains the most reliable lender on the planet. No paperwork, no collateral, no working-back student loans, just nostalgia - and extra helpings if a son is involved - as interest.

Every Indian household is a branch office of Reserve Bank of Parental Emotion. The father handles FDs of disappointment. The mother manages recurring deposits of affection. Even when the child renounces worldly life, as is the case with Upadhyaya a.k.a. Budh Nath, the spiritual EMI continues - paid in blessings and Tupperware full of khichdi. Banks may collapse, startups may fail, but the parental treasury never defaults. You could vanish for half-a-century, grow a beard and return chanting mantras - and still, your mother will open the door, fret over how thin you've become, and ask, 'Beta, khana khayega??' before handing you your loan instalment. In India, filial finance is eternal. You can become a monk, mogul or meme. But you'll always be a customer of Bank of Mom.