There is no such thing as cost-free financing. If interest isn't explicitly charged, its cost has simply been embedded elsewhere. Bharath, a 30-year-old software engineer, wanted to buy a premium smartphone priced at Rs 72,000. During an online festive sale, he noticed an attractive offer—"Zero-Cost EMI: Rs 6,000 per month for 12 months. "Believing there was no interest involved, he chose the EMI option without giving it much thought. A few days later, Bharath visited another