YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOUR GRANDMOTHER GOT FOR FREE
- Madhukar Dama
- May 3
- 8 min read
INTRODUCTION: THE PRICE TAG ON COMMON SENSE
Imagine your great-grandmother walking into a mall today. She’d scream. Not because of the escalator. But because of the sheer stupidity of people buying what used to be free. We now proudly pay for what was once considered basic, natural, or even sacred. This is not progress. This is a scam with better packaging. Welcome to the Age of Bottled Oxygen, Rented Friends, and Vitamin D Deficiency Under the Sun.
Let us now walk through this grand bazaar of absurdity. Bring your wallet. Irony is expensive.
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SECTION 1: HEALTH – NATURE DIES, INDUSTRY THRIVES
We once breathed air for free. Now we strap masks and buy filters like obedient cows. The sun gave Vitamin D. Now, we avoid it and pay 900 rupees a month for tiny white pills. A child falling in mud was called healthy. Now, it’s an emergency — straight to a sterile play gym with rubber flooring and anti-bacterial sprays.
Sleep? That used to arrive with hard work and dusk. Now it arrives with melatonin capsules, Spotify sleep playlists, and overpriced lavender candles.
Cough? Grandma gave turmeric in milk. Now you need a 700 rupee syrup with ‘turmeric extract’ and an ad featuring a cricketer who has never been sick in his life.
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SECTION 2: FOOD – EARTH TO TABLE, VIA FACTORY
Remember when we ate from the backyard? Now, the same greens are vacuum-packed, flown from Thailand, and cost more than a gold ring. Desi cow milk was delivered in steel containers. Now you get “organic A2 milk” in plastic pouches at triple the price. Buttermilk was churned after lunch. Now it’s sold in tetra packs beside cola.
Even hunger is suspicious now. “Are you really hungry or just dehydrated?” says a dietician charging 2000 per session.
Rice, once stored in sacks at home, now comes ‘fortified,’ ‘parboiled,’ ‘instant,’ and still gives you constipation.
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SECTION 3: EMOTIONS – RENTED LOVE & OUTSOURCED PARENTING
Hugs were free. Now, they’re called ‘touch therapy’ at 1000 rupees an hour. Grandparents told stories at night. Now you need a subscription to an audiobook app narrated by a robotic foreigner.
Love is now a gesture, a purchase, an anniversary hamper. Kindness comes in workshops. Parenting comes in podcasts. And grief? That’s an ‘emotional detox’ retreat now.
Your own child looks at you like a guest. But don't worry, there’s an app to reconnect families through virtual hugs.
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SECTION 4: BIRTH, DEATH & SCRIPTS OF LIFE
Babies were born in homes. Now they are delivered with a C-section starter pack, complete with optional stem-cell banking and photography. Naming used to be a whispered ceremony. Now it’s a theme party with a hashtag.
People died simply. A bath, a white cloth, a prayer. Now there’s a 25,000-rupee package with Bluetooth-enabled chants and imported sandalwood.
You pay to come into the world. You pay to leave. Only the middle part — your confusion — is free.
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SECTION 5: BEAUTY – NATURAL UGLINESS IS NOW A SIN
Sweat was human. Now it’s offensive. Enter: deo wars, anti-sweat sprays, and talcum dust storms. Dark skin was a sign of hard work. Now it’s a medical condition. Creams scream, “Fix it!”
Hair falls? Your diet is to blame. But buy this serum anyway. And this shampoo. And this scalp massager. And maybe a wig.
A wrinkled face once meant wisdom. Now it means Botox.
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SECTION 6: LEARNING – WISDOM ON SALE
Your grandfather knew five crops and twelve birds by the time he was ten. Today’s child knows five apps and twelve emojis.
Once, knowledge came from watching elders. Now, it comes with EMI options. You paid nothing to learn how to light a fire. Now you pay for ‘primitive living’ courses from foreigners who came to study your village.
Degrees rain like confetti. But nobody knows how to grow onions without Google.
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SECTION 7: SPIRITUALITY – FAITH OUTSOURCED
Silence used to be natural. Now you pay for it in retreats. Prayers were personal. Now they're prepaid.
People searched inside. Now they Google, "Which god is best for prosperity?"
Meditation was a way of life. Now it’s an app with ads.
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SECTION 8: NATURE – FENCED, TICKETED, PACKAGED
Want to see stars? Go to an observatory. Want to touch cows? Go to a ‘village theme resort.’ Want to see mud? Buy a pottery kit. Want a tree? Rent one for your office backdrop.
The sun is filtered. The wind is blocked. The river is diverted. And you still call this development.
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SECTION 9: HUMAN INSTINCTS – RETURN TO SENDER
You can no longer trust your gut. Because some expert told you it’s probably acid reflux. You don’t breastfeed on demand. You check the clock.
You don’t sleep when tired. You scroll until your eyes bleed.
You don’t cry when sad. You post quotes.
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CONCLUSION: THE INVOICE OF MODERNITY
We now:
Pay to breathe.
Pay to feel.
Pay to rest.
Pay to die.
And still, we feel poor. Not because we lack money. But because we have lost what money cannot buy.
Next time you open your wallet, pause. Your ancestors are laughing in the wind. And your grandchildren might need a subscription to experience that too.
END.
Great — I’ll now create a 100-item list of things that are naturally free or simple but for which people end up paying heavily, across all classes and types of people in India.
Each point will be short, easy to understand, and universally relatable.
I’ll group the list into thematic sections for clarity:
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I. HEALTH & HEALING (Free from Nature, Sold by Industry)
1. Clean air – now bought via purifiers and oxygen cans.
2. Sunlight – replaced by Vitamin D pills.
3. Barefoot walking – replaced by costly shoes.
4. Squatting – replaced by joint pain medicine.
5. Natural immunity – replaced by vaccines and boosters.
6. Clean water – replaced by bottled water and RO filters.
7. Local herbs – replaced by pharmaceutical pills.
8. Good sleep – replaced by sleep medications.
9. Gut health – replaced by probiotic drinks and capsules.
10. Hunger signals – replaced by meal plans and dietitians.
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II. FOOD & FARMING (Abundant from Earth, Bought from Markets)
11. Seasonal fruits – now sold as ‘superfoods.’
12. Millets – once poor man’s food, now rebranded and costly.
13. Wild greens – ignored, while buying imported veggies.
14. Desi seeds – replaced by hybrid company seeds.
15. Coconut water – replaced by packaged energy drinks.
16. Raw honey – replaced by sugar syrups in bottles.
17. Curd from home – replaced by expensive probiotic curd.
18. Buttermilk – replaced by fizzy colas and cold drinks.
19. Cooking in mud pots – replaced by Teflon pans.
20. Wild berries – ignored, while buying jam bottles.
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III. MIND & EMOTIONS (Free Human Needs, Monetised)
21. Peace – now sold in yoga studios and apps.
22. Silence – replaced by headphones and subscriptions.
23. Love – replaced by dating sites and gifts.
24. Community support – replaced by counselors.
25. Family storytelling – replaced by OTT platforms.
26. Hugs and touch – replaced by spa and therapy.
27. Spiritual clarity – replaced by rituals and fees.
28. Presence – replaced by mindfulness courses.
29. Purpose – sold as coaching packages.
30. Hope – sold by astrologers and fake gurus.
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IV. CHILDHOOD & PARENTING (Simple Joys, Now Commercialised)
31. Clay play – replaced by costly toys.
32. Open field games – replaced by online gaming.
33. Grandparent care – replaced by creches.
34. Village summer – replaced by summer camps.
35. Breastfeeding – replaced by formula milk.
36. Home lullabies – replaced by white noise machines.
37. Storytelling – replaced by subscription cartoons.
38. Homemade toys – replaced by plastic imports.
39. Climbing trees – replaced by indoor play gyms.
40. Sibling fights – replaced by anger management classes.
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V. BIRTH, DEATH & RITUALS (Natural Transitions, Now Paid For)
41. Natural birth – replaced by hospital C-sections.
42. Family mourning – replaced by event managers.
43. Village midwives – replaced by gynec packages.
44. Bathing the dead – replaced by funeral contractors.
45. Naming ceremonies – replaced by catered functions.
46. Sacred chanting – replaced by recorded mantras.
47. Free cremation wood – replaced by electric crematorium fees.
48. Simple death rituals – replaced by lavish ceremonies.
49. Home prayers – replaced by priestly packages.
50. Community grief – replaced by silence and selfies.
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VI. EDUCATION & WISDOM (Traditionally Shared, Now Sold)
51. Wisdom from elders – replaced by online coaches.
52. Free community teaching – replaced by coaching centres.
53. Craft learning – replaced by YouTube tutorials.
54. Observation and practice – replaced by degrees.
55. Folk songs and riddles – replaced by English rhymes.
56. Local history – replaced by foreign case studies.
57. Skill from grandparents – replaced by certificate courses.
58. Farming knowledge – replaced by agri apps.
59. Cooking from mother – replaced by TV shows.
60. Language from home – replaced by paid language apps.
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VII. SOCIAL LIFE & CONNECTIONS (Free but Abandoned)
61. Neighbourhood bonding – replaced by social media.
62. Village gatherings – replaced by malls and cafés.
63. Free help – replaced by paid services.
64. Friendships – replaced by networking.
65. Celebrations at home – replaced by banquet halls.
66. Homemade snacks for guests – replaced by parcel food.
67. Visiting elders – replaced by video calls.
68. Simple weddings – replaced by destination marriages.
69. Free babysitting by neighbours – replaced by daycare.
70. Local wisdom – replaced by influencers.
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VIII. BODY & BEAUTY (Free Functioning, Repackaged for Profit)
71. Sweating – replaced by detox drinks.
72. Body odour – replaced by deodorant obsession.
73. Skin color – replaced by fairness creams.
74. Facial glow – replaced by salon facials.
75. Long hair – replaced by wigs and serums.
76. Teeth cleaning with neem – replaced by whitening pastes.
77. Natural puberty – replaced by hormone pills.
78. Wrinkles of age – replaced by anti-aging creams.
79. Real nails – replaced by acrylics.
80. Body acceptance – replaced by plastic surgery.
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IX. NATURE & TIME (Free Access, Turned Into Industry)
81. Forests – replaced by resorts.
82. Hills – turned into ticketed viewpoints.
83. River dips – replaced by spas.
84. Star-gazing – replaced by apps.
85. Bird watching – replaced by documentaries.
86. Rain soaking – replaced by monsoon cafes.
87. Firewood warmth – replaced by room heaters.
88. Cow dung floors – replaced by tiles.
89. Free animals – replaced by pet shops.
90. Backyard life – replaced by parks with entry fees.
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X. INNER LIFE & FREEDOM (Always Within, Always Outsourced)
91. Trust in instincts – replaced by rules and courses.
92. Following nature – replaced by artificial routines.
93. Inner knowing – replaced by endless seeking.
94. Inner peace – replaced by religion-based fear.
95. Moral compass – replaced by legal systems.
96. Forgiveness – replaced by paid mediators.
97. Talking to self – replaced by therapists.
98. Free imagination – replaced by endless content.
99. Silence of soul – replaced by chants and CDs.
100. Death awareness – replaced by avoidance and rituals.
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