Dopehri

“When an intense longing burns deep inside the heart, it evolves into a form that looks like ‘Amma Bi”

Amma Bi is the lone owner of Lal Haveli and a 1936 model of Austin. She is a widow who constantly reminisces about the past. Her moods depict the day and night. She curses in the searing heat of the day and her longing mirrors the calmness of the night. Jumman, her house help is at the receiving end of her curses and is also the object of her maternal love. Nothing strikes fear in Bi’s heart except loneliness and change. When she hears noises and the sound of anklets in three in the afternoon, Amma Bi becomes more frightful.

 Amma Bi finally agrees to the proposal of Saxena Sahabh, her husband’s old friend to keep a lodger (Sabiha) when she hears about the state of the old age home from one of its inhabitants.

The supporting characters had depth and were also given space to grow. The story grows on to you like the sky flooding the surroundings with its colours. Just like how the haveli came alive with the arrival of Sabiha, the plot also got a punch of humour. Loneliness and its affect on old people was beautifully articulated in words. The story blooms when you begin to read in between the lines.It takes a skillful hand to weave a poignant tale in few words that will make you laugh and cry with happy tears.