Anxiety in Every Rupee

A look inside how the lack of basic money education shapes everyday anxiety and small awakenings in Kashmir.

- Irshad Mushtaq

Aijaz Mir pushes his shikara into Dal Lake before the sun rises over the hills. On good days, tourists fill his boat and the tips are generous. On slow days, he counts every note twice. By evening, his thoughts turn to school fees, groceries and the long winter ahead.

He knows how to work hard, What he never learned is how to plan his money beyond the next few weeks.

When visitors ask about life on the lake, Aijaz talks about the water and the view. He does not talk about the stress of uncertain income or the fear of an emergency wiping out whatever little he has saved.

No one ever taught him how savings could grow or how planning could bring some peace.

In another part of Srinagar, Sana Aziz sits in her rented room after work, scrolling through her phone. She has a good degree and a steady job.

Every month, her salary arrives on time and disappears just as quickly. Rent, transport, family needs and medical expenses take their share.

She tells herself she will start saving next month. That month keeps moving forward.

Aijaz and Sana live different lives, but they share the same problem.

They were taught how to study, earn and adjust. But they were never taught how money works.