The Income Tax (IT) Office in Mirzapur is housed in an ancient bungalow surrounded by a sprawling garden that is full of monkeys. But the day my husband and I went there to file our IT returns we were convinced that the real wildlife was inside the building. June 30 was a muggy day and the serpentine queue outside the office filled us with despair. But since it was the last day to file returns, we reluctantly joined the tail of the queue. There were just two hours left for the counter to close and to our horror we realised that everyone in the queue was holding at least ten forms to submit. Then we spotted Aslam, an acquaintance, at the head of the line.
"Why don't you give me your form," he offered. We gratefully accepted and sat under a shady tree outside to await his arrival. In about 15 minutes, Aslam was out, preceded by his papers. "Quick, help me collect the
