The rooftop is a place where boundaries are transgressed, where the children of the mohalla (neighbourhood) play, women relax away from the male gaze and lovers meet in the shadow of the water tanks. It’s where the inhabitants are spied on through the skylights and where gossip thrives. It’s also where Bitva’s own origin story is given free rein in his imagination. This stands in stark contrast to the homes below where lives are restricted and societal rules must be followed. Shree, who grew up in Uttar Pradesh, treats this milieu with wry, incisive humour.