It was a regular sunny afternoon in Connaught Place, Delhi. The streets buzzed with the usual chaos — autos honking, street vendors shouting about aloo tikkis and momos, and influencers out with their ring lights and microphones, chasing viral glory.
But something different happened that day.
A street interviewer — that over-enthusiastic guy with slick hair, sunglasses that were clearly too big for his face, and a mic labelled “YouDesiTalks” — was roaming around asking the question.
You know the one.
“How much should a guy earn to be your boyfriend?”
Cue the usual responses:
“At least 2 lakhs per month, yaar!”
“Minimum six figures bro, I like branded bags okay?”
“He should have a car, flat, and investments. No compromise.”
The crowd around the mic laughed, cheered, and the influencer kept nodding like a bobblehead.
And then came Ankita Sharma.
A 24-year-old girl from Noida, in a kurti, jhumkas, and a backpack with a “My brain has too many tabs open” badge. She looked chill, like the type who drinks chai without sugar and reads psychology books for fun.
The mic was shoved in her face.
Interviewer: “Okay, tell me honestly — how much should a man earn to date you?”
She blinked. Tilted her head. Smiled.
And then dropped a bomb.
Ankita: “I think he should earn enough to not be stressed every day. But also — I should earn too, right? It’s not 1952 anymore. Why should guys carry the whole financial load?”
Pin drop silence.
A pigeon literally stopped mid-flight.
The interviewer blinked. Twice.
Interviewer (trying to recover): “So you’re saying… 50-50?”
Ankita: “Arre no baba, not everything can be mathematically split. If I earn more, I’ll contribute more. If he earns more, he can chip in more. It’s not a Google spreadsheet. It’s life.”
Some aunties sitting nearby on the bench sipping kulhad chai went, “Waah, beta!”
A guy in the crowd whispered, “Yeh toh TED Talk dene layak baat hai bhai.”
The interviewer, slightly panicked, tried to reel it back.
Interviewer: “But what if he’s broke? Like, full on ‘Maggi for dinner’ broke?”
Ankita (grinning): “Then he better be funny. If I’m paying for date night, he better be the entertainment.”
Crowd: DEAD.
Laughter erupted. Even the security guard chuckled.
But she wasn’t done.
Ankita: “See, I’m not saying money isn’t important. Inflation is real. I paid ₹350 for popcorn last weekend. Popcorn! So yes, I want my partner to be ambitious. But not just for me — for himself.”
Interviewer: “So… you’d date a guy who earns less than you?”
Ankita: “If he’s emotionally mature, kind, doesn’t think feminism is a western conspiracy, and knows how to wash a plate — why not?”
Crowd reaction: Gasps. Claps. One guy even dropped his chai.
A man from behind, named Rohit, probably an engineer, shouted,
“Didi, you are hope for all middle-class boys!”
Another chimed in,
“Marry me, didi! I have UPI and emotional baggage!”
Even the interviewer gave up and said,
“Yeh video toh viral hone wala hai.”
Why It Hit Different
In a world of reels filled with luxury flexing and “my type is rich” statements, Ankita brought what Desi Twitter later called “financial feminism with masala.”
Her clip blew up on social media.
- Some people called her “Desi Queen of Sense.”
- One YouTube comment read, “Finally, a girl who doesn’t treat relationships like Shark Tank.”
- Another said, “Respect++ from all broke but emotionally available men.”
Even her old tuition teacher commented,
“Beta Ankita always asked deep questions in class. No wonder!”
Ankita Later Said in an Insta Post:
“It’s not about lowering standards. It’s about having realistic, shared responsibilities. Love isn’t a bank loan with one guarantor. It’s a joint account.”
And The Internet Lost It Again:
Meme pages were on fire.
- One meme showed a guy photoshopped with a ₹0 wallet saying “But I’m emotionally mature.”
- Another had Ankita’s face with the caption: “If she believes in 50-50, marry her before someone with a 6-figure salary does.”
The Aftermath:
Ankita got DMs from:
- Guys saying thank you.
- Girls saying, “You inspired me to think deeper.”
- One uncle asking if she does matchmaking for his son (seriously).
She eventually went on a podcast and said,
“Relationships should be like biryani — balanced. Too much masala and someone ends up crying.”
The host nodded like they just met the Dalai Lama.
Moral of the Story?
If you’re ever asked how much your boyfriend should earn, maybe say:
“Enough to survive, thrive, and split a Domino’s pizza once in a while.”
But also, remember what Ankita taught us:
Responsibility, like love, is a two-way lane — preferably with no toll tax.
So the next time a mic shows up in your face, channel your inner Ankita.
Speak the truth. Stir the crowd.
And maybe, just maybe… go viral.
