It is a time of immense happiness. Our brother is coming back home from Canada for a quick visit. He has been away for four years pursuing a Master’s Program and internship. Even though we are far apart, a few letters and photos, keep us connected. His earlier messages depict the natural beauty of Halifax ...

The apartment I was born in was off a dead-end street in Queens, New York. My parents referred to the street as “The Magic Street”. It gained its magic because of the lack of speeding cars coming in and out. The light traffic gave my parents peace of mind when we were outside. I felt ...

Daddy occasionally takes longer trips away from home, lasting a few days. Rohtak, a small town close to Delhi, offered a unique experience. A village Headman extends an exclusive invitation as part of the trip. The only transportation option to that remote location is an unreliable private bus service, far from Rohtak. The old farmer ...

Visiting Mathura is another memorable trip with three siblings and our parents. I am ten, Sudhir is two years younger, and Munna is a toddler. The year-end exams are over, and the winter vacation has begun. Daddy is to leave on one of his trips to the rural countryside. He had run into an old ...

It is getting close to the end of our summer vacation. Daddy works in remote villages. We will be accompanying him to the Rohtak area for a few days. Mummy warns us we will stay in a rest-house with no electricity or running water in the middle of nowhere. We are not discouraged-it does not ...

The transition to Bangalore is epic. All our furnishings and heavy household items are to be sold. Even then, a moving company moves heavy trunks and boxes. The thought of having new furniture in a new city excites us. But first, we have to reach Bangalore. Daddy describes the train journey to us. It will ...

  “Yes, Daddy, yes! That’s the book the teacher read in class.” Daddy is turning pages of a children’s book entitled Fix it, Please. We are in a children’s bookstore. My teacher, Miss Beri, had read that book to the class this morning at school. She displayed it to the kids so they could see ...

I was ten when Daddy put me on a train to Ambala. Alone and unsupervised for the first time, feeling quite grown up, I hope I am hiding my fears. Daddy sent a telegram to his older brother, Har Narain saying, “Sunita is coming–please receive.” An immediate response comes back, “Who is Sunita?” I am ...

In the hushed, soft-lit room, Sudhir lies in a pine coffin draped with a white cloth. Munna, my younger sister, and I arrange white gladiolas on either end with peace lilies along the length. Deep red roses lie in the middle. Mummy enters with Juji (my youngest sister). The priest prepares the thali for the ...

“Good grades lead to scholarships for higher education. A meaningful degree leads to well-paying jobs with opportunities to advance.” This message is drummed incessantly by Grandfather. His children picked up the refrain and beat it into their children (i.e., my generation). We continued the tradition. After their mother’s passing, grandfather demanded all his children finish ...