85 years have passed since the tempestuous romance between Duke and PIku made them leave their motherland.
India in 2025 is unrecognizable.
Everything is different with sweeping social changes that began with the country's independence. But what h...
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Chapter 3
Avi's Homecoming
Avi's parents lived with his grandfather in a big '70s apartment in Ballygunj Place. His older sister Arpita, was married and settled in Bangalore. They visited twice a year. During their visits, this apartment took on a new life.
Yet, this place was filled with silence in Avi's heart. Silence, tears and questions unheard and unanswered. It was a prison he could never escape.
But it's present state of melancholy was for a wholly different reason.
Avi's 90 year old grandfather was responsible for it . In the last year or so, his failing kidneys made his mind wander. He was no longer the cheerful old man Avi adored.
Nowadays, he grumbled about having bugs crawling out of his head and wanting to visit his older brothers in his village in Adipur. He was the eldest son. There were no elder brothers. But he spoke about them with such conviction, with so many details that it intrigued Avi.
This wasn't the usual pattern of dementia. Recalling childhood memories was typical but creating imaginary siblings was very unusual. Avi was so intrigued by it all that he'd started an investigation of his family tree to figure it out. But apart from a few faded black and white pictures he had nothing else to go on with. But he didn't give up. The old man wouldn't let him.
This apartment was a strange relic of a bygone era. Their heritage as landlords was evident in every picture, every memorabilia here. This cramped apartment was a testimony to the past grandeour of the Roychowdhury clan.
There were solid teakwood furniture everywhere from at least a century ago, looking oversized and out of place in these modern surroundings.
A huge grand piano took centre stage dwarfing the drawing room even further. Arpi was the only one who played and now it lay unused, just another table their mother piled her collection of junk on.
**
As he entered the apartment, Avi could hear the strident whistling of the pressure cooker. The intense smell of mutton curry wafted out of the kitchen.
He said hello to his father.
Anando Roychowdhury had recently retired from his job in BBTC. Now, he read the newspaper all day long and nagged Avi's mother with a fervor that only a recently retired could muster.
'So you've come just in time for dinner, have you? Haan? Could you smell it? Your grandfather was asking for you. Go check on him. He might be asleep already though. Why are you so late?' his father asked all in one breath as he folded the newspaper and turned his full attention to his son.
His mother Arati came out of the kitchen just in time to rescue him.
'Ai, don't start on him. This overworked fellow comes home to relax once a week and immediately you start . Being after my life isn't enough for you? You have to go after the boy as well.' she turned to her son with her arms akimbo.
