She should’ve been swinging a racquet on court, not shot dead by her father.

Why was she killed?

Because Radhika Yadav, a celebrated state level tennis player made reels. Because she wanted to be an “influencer.”

Ah, the word that gets thrown around these days like confetti at a wedding—influencer. Ask any teen what they want to be and it’s no longer astronaut or IAS officer, “I want to be an influencer, uncle,” they say, their eyes gleaming with ring-light reflections.

They want to make short videos of themselves walking with wind blowing in the hair, or doing dances in parking lots? Or they want to sell lipstick, exercise routines, or give life advice before they’ve lived half of one.

But don’t judge them too quickly. These kids are not just chasing vanity. They’re chasing voice. Visibility. The ability to matter in a world that rarely listens. And while some do it for likes and brand deals, many are just trying to say, “Look at me. I exist. I’m more than what my marksheet says or what my father believes.”

Unfortunately, in this country of ours, that’s still a dangerous thing for a girl to say.

She may have been a tennis champ, but in her home, she had no court, no serve, and no point. Her “reels” were seen as rebellion. Her desire to express herself, a provocation. Her phone, a ticking time bomb. And her dreams? Better buried than broadcast.

Let’s not be fooled. The fault here is not Instagram, or reels, or the girl’s desire to be known. The fault lies in a culture where the idea of a woman with a voice terrifies many.

Where a father—who should have been her biggest follower—became her biggest fear.

In our country we are so afraid of women excelling, aren’t we? That even a dad kills his daughter, or we subdue them with violence and rape.

But dear young ones reading this—don’t be afraid.

Make your reels, dance your dances, speak your truth. But also, seek something deeper. Let your greatest influence be not your wardrobe or your views, but the stillness in your spirit, the peace in your presence, and the love you show to a broken world.

Because in the end, the greatest influencer is one whose life quietly points upward. Not to themselves, but to something higher.

To the One who walked this earth without a single reel, but left behind a legacy that still transforms hearts.

And the best way to become an influencer?

Let people see the stillness in your life,
The peace in your spirit,
The love in your heart for your fellowmen—
And when they ask your secret,
You smile and say,
“It’s a God above.”

And to the rest of us—fathers, husbands, uncles, brothers and grandfathers—let’s not fear their freedom. Let’s fear what’s going to happen to our nation as we cage it…!

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