When Hany Babu was arrested, on July 28, 2020, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for his alleged role in the 2018 Bhima-Koregaon violence, his daughter Farzana seemed unflappable. Surprising for a Standard XI student? Well, one night three months later, Farzana could not go to sleep. She persistently dialled Hany’s mobile, and, after failing to get a response—judges and police officers please note—she cut herself. Accident? An alarmed Jenny Rowena took Farzana away from Noida, adjoining Delhi, to Kerala, where the love of Hany’s family and friends healed the wounds festering inside her.

In Mumbai’s Taloja Jail, aware of how difficult it is to get bail under UAPA, Hany heard the call of Allah—and learnt to offer namaz five times a day. Last year, when he was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital with a COVID-related eye infection, Hany told Jenny about the peace he now experiences.