New Delhi, Oct. 13 -- By Thursday afternoon, Rohit Sharma already knew how his Friday would end. The content lead at a Mumbai-based advertising agency would be on back-to-back calls, clearing last-minute escalations, and logging off exhausted well past 9pm. The weekend offered little respite. By Sunday evening, the familiar heaviness returned. "I stopped recognizing myself," the 38-year-old says. "I was snappy with my team, perpetually tired, and constantly thinking about quitting. But I was also scared of what would happen if I did."

Across the country in Bengaluru, Ananya Nair faced a different dilemma. For the 34-year-old brand manager at a global FMCG company, everything was "right" on paper: a good salary, a swanky office, and inter...