Not many would know that in 19th century Punjab, when purdahnashin was a way of life for its women, Hardevi Roshanlal, the widowed daughter of Rai Kanhaiya Lal of Lahore, not only remarried for love, but also went on to pen the first ever Hindi travelogue — London ki Yatra (1887) — written by a woman. Her rebellious spirit saw her take great strides, as she continued her work towards emancipation of women, publishing a Hindi language women's magazine, Bharat Bhagini.

A quick Google search or even a tedious skimming of history textbooks, might make no mention of Hardevi's glowing contribution. But, if you ask Toronto-based researcher Harleen Singh, he will admit that she has been his most interesting find yet. The 23-year-old, who runs The Lost Heer Project on Instagram, has been looking for stories like hers, to document how women, though sidelined, played an important role in colonial Punjab. "For me, Heer is a quintessential Punjaban, someone who dared to love and resist the patriarchal society of 18th century Punjab," says Singh, originally from Delhi.