The video of a home invasion went viral this weekend. On Holi, two dozen men armed with lathis and rods forced their way into Mohammed Sajid's house in Gurgaon's Dhamaspur village. They mercilessly beat Sajid's nephew Dilshad on the terrace; the worst part of the video was on the roof, where the women leaned against the door, shrieking in terror, to keep the invaders from bursting through. Sajid, his wife and six children were hosting relatives from another Gurgaon village. Just imagine: you invite relatives over and a bunch of hooligans break in to murderously attack you.

Afterwards, Indian Muslims on social media spoke of what they might do if faced with a home invasion. Hindus don't have to think of such contingencies, despite the exaggerated fears that the well-off conjure about terrorism. (Yes. In my "New" Gurgaon neighbourhood, a resident approached me to also install CCTVs at my house. I declined. He asked, you're not afraid of terrorism? I wondered what global publicity any terrorist could hope to muster from our sleepy neighbourhood in the Aravalli foothills.) I am saddened by one twitter friend's declaration that he planned to fend off a mob long enough for his wife to escape. I hope it never comes to that.