Randhir: What is there to hide?
1970 and after
When he was sixteen, one of their neighbours, Mrs Sood, had dropped in to see his mother, full of news about her trip to America. She was the only one in their neighbourhood who had been there. He was in his room and could hear her talking loudly to his mother.
‘Very nice people these Americans are, Madhu, I can’t even tell you how friendly. They are always saying hi, always smiling, even to strangers.’ The Americans had loved her sarees and said how much they wanted to visit India. There were so many things that amazed her about these Americans. ‘Imagine, Madhu – Americans just throw their things away! And nice people, educated people, they pick up these things from garbage dump.’
‘From rubbish dump!’ his mother exclaimed in horror.
