I stopped in front of a pink house before which a young lady applied red powder on Lord Ganesha’s idol. She caught my attention and I took a careful look at her subtle movements. As our eyes met, she paused for a second, and with the universal gesture of the hand, she invited me in. I left my shoes outside and entered the main courtyard of her home.

I saw her elder brother still sleeping on his bed and another one in his school uniform, washing his face. He stared at me, amazed, and laughed. After showing me the centuries-old well in their house, the young woman took me to the kitchen where her mother was making chai. They offered me a cup that I was happy to accept despite my aversion to milk. It was my chance to bask in the warmth of their family. Sumitra, the mother, asked her younger son to bring a plastic chair for me to sit on comfortably, as she served me chai. She then sat on the floor next to me with her younger daughter in white and blue school uniform. Time had come for the daily braiding session. With her expert hands, Sumitra pulled, turned, combed, to form two perfectly symmetrical tight braids.