: There's been a marked increase in the educational attainment of Indian women. They are pursuing higher education in greater numbers and are represented in various professional fields.

In a society that restricts physical mobility for women (especially in small towns), the smartphone is the window to the world. Women join "Bored in Kanpur" or "Mumbai Moms" groups to trade recipes, ask for doctor referrals, and, crucially, share warnings about harassment.

Later that night, alone on her terrace under a starry sky, Anjali called her best friend, Priya, a single, 40-year-old airline pilot who lived in Mumbai with her adopted daughter.