It's difficult to gauge what goes on in the mind of a teenager living amid the pandemic and the silent crackdown on dissent, navigating the world of news and social media. Do they see the world, its problems and its many possibilities through a different lens? Aditi Agarwal, 17, a guest on the first episode of a podcast hosted by online resource centre The Magic Key Centre for the Arts and Childhood, gives us an insight into her feelings about the aftermath of CAA and NRC, when she says, "Those petitions had thousands of signatures. But to see that even a response of that kind can be quelled, really broke my heart. They [petitions] might not bring about direct change, but they inspire hope. For example, you know that what you believe in, 30,000 others also believe in."

In a 15-minutes podcast, Agarwal, a school student who loves poetry, memes and writing, then goes onto pour her heart out about why she wrote an open letter to Dalit rights activist Dr Hany Babu after his arrest, and what it's like to grow up amid the rise of global fascism. These are not conversations you expect to have with children, who we prefer to tuck away from reality. Yet their young ideas can offer hope for a brighter tomorrow. And this is what filmmaker, writer and educator Samina Mishra's podcast, The Magic Key Conversations, aims to do — create a space for children to think for themselves and express it.