Niyati’s Pandemic Displacement

This flow traces Niyati’s experience of professional stigma, sudden homelessness, and dependence on institutional kindness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Frontline Stigma

Frontline Stigma Essential Work Niyati works as a pharmaceutical scientist while caring for her young son, Nilesh. Social Fear Her landlord treats her profession as a contagious threat and decides that her family can no longer remain in the building. Moral Inversion The work that helps fight the pandemic becomes the stated reason for her exclusion.

Forced Eviction

Forced Eviction Sudden Homelessness Niyati returns with groceries and finds two men waiting to remove her from the flat. Maternal Panic She must secure milk, clothing, and safety for Nilesh while her husband, Lokesh Jha, remains unreachable. Dignity Under Pressure Her anger at the landlord cannot change the immediate reality that she has nowhere to go.

Refuge at the Mansion

Refuge at the Mansion Desperate Appeal Niyati turns to her employer, Nargis Poonawala, because official systems feel inaccessible during the crisis. Compassionate Shelter Nargis welcomes Niyati and Nilesh into Poonawala Mansion without demanding a performance of gratitude. New Boundary The experience convinces Niyati that Lokesh’s absence has become intolerable and that their marriage cannot continue unchanged.

during the COVID-19 pandemic

the same day as the shopping trip

later that rainy evening