We meet Pallavi Singh at a coffee outlet, which is a popular venue for her Hindi lessons class, feeling a mix of excitement tinged with a dash of nervousness as the last time we attended a Hindi class was over a decade ago. We are pleasantly surprised to meet our teacher; a 24-year-old who could easily pass off as a student. “I am not a typical teacher who probably makes her students rote learn “Namaste, Aap kaise hain?” in their first class. In fact, I do not teach from a textbook at all. For every class, I have a set of activities that correspond to that day's lesson. I use flashcards, quizzes, word scrambles and fill-in-the-blanks to turn the class into a fun and engaging experience. But I do give homework,” she smiles. As per the grading system, if you get more than 10 stars in a month and a ‘bahut badiya’, you get a free beer, she reveals with a grin. Some motivation, we think.

24-year-old Hindi tutor, Pallavi Singh