The chaos escalated. Riya’s younger brother, Chintu (whose real name was Arjun, but no one used it), came running with a missing shoe. A frantic search ensued, involving lifting the sofa, blaming the maid (who hadn’t arrived yet), and Chintu dissolving into tears until Riya found the shoe inside the refrigerator. (Don’t ask. No one ever asks.)
It was 5:30 AM, and the smell of filter coffee had already begun its slow conquest of the Mehta household in Mumbai. Before the city’s honking traffic could wake, the gentle ting of a steel dabara set the rhythm of the day.
“Good morning, Dadiji,” Riya mumbled, kissing the top of the old woman’s head.
Drainage Stoke