London Awaits: Book Two

By Pravin Maharaj

The day Prem had left India, with his young son, Aaravi, for London; it was one of the saddest days, in the Sharma family household, and all Prem’s relatives. Even Prem’s wife, Aarashi’s parents, brothers and sisters were sad at the airport to send them off abroad. As they went away, from their sight, sniffs with tears of sadness filled the air, as it marked a new beginning for father and son and an end of their life in India. Prem never knew that, the day at the airport, was the last time he would have seen his grandfather, alive, when he touched his feet, bowed as he left the airport through the departure gates.

In London, Prem led a life of misery and struggled to find his feet. However, he made sure that Aaravi was enrolled at a reputable local school. They rented a little downtrodden little run-down basement flat, which was a in the outskirts, and cockroaches and mice played where the rubbish bins lay. He paid cheap rent, which is what he could afford, and they lived there for a wee while to get their footing.

Not too long after, Aarashi, his wife, and Priya, his daughter, accompanied them in London. The family life once again began from its humble beginnings, and gradually they moved ahead, and their life took a turn.

The second book, ‘London Awaits’ in which Prem takes great risks and challenges and set out into the shores of England. Here, he restarts a new life with his wife and three children, in the outskirts of London. It gives a broad spectrum about what is in store as Prem ventures out into an unknown into a new territory with new vision and adventures that is awaiting him. He therefore transcends himself into getting acquainted with a new culture in London, with enormous struggles with very humble beginnings. In essence the book exemplifies a family bond he always had with his motherland, India, although he and his family become highly westernized. With all the influence that had from their neighbours and friends, in a new country, their culture, religious beliefs and being Indian still remained their driving force, dear to their heart. The dream is realised, when Prem and his family sow the seeds for their future in a new country.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781728378497

Pravin Maharaj

My name is Pravin Maharaj, and the author of all six books. My ancestral roots were seeded in a little farm in Maudihaan, in the district of Rohtas, in the state of Bihar, in Eastern India. My great grandfather, left as an indentured labourer, in 1879, to South Africa, on British sailing ships, and his ship, which was called the HMS Truro. My grandfather and father and myself were all born in South Africa. I grew up and lived in South Africa and I had a love for writing, from a young age. When I was thirty-eight years old, living with the discriminatory laws in the apartheid era in South Africa, when non-whites were victimised and separated according to the race, creed and culture, that I left my mother country, and immigrated to New Zealand, where I reside currently. I studied and at the age of twenty, I graduated as a schoolteacher, and then quickly I was promoted as Senior leader, Deputy Principal and Principal at various schools both in South Africa and New Zealand. I had a short stint in the UAE as a Team Leader, after I was taken on contract to support American and other teachers from around the world, with the NZ curriculum and pedagogy, between 2014 and 2017. It is in the UAE, whence my flair for writing erupted, and it is here that I wrote 6 books, because I had lots of time available after school, which ended at 1.00pm, daily. It is funny, that I wrote novels as a past time, and at no time I had the intention to get them published. It happened by chance when, I was still in the UAE, for whatever reason, I had an email from Xlibris, and then Author House, with information about being an up-and-coming author and each one sent me an offer as a package deal, separately. On arrival to NZ, I started to read my stories, again, and rewrote many parts, and did a few edits. When I felt happy, I made fresh new contact with many publishing companies. This was the start of my communication with both publishing houses, and 8 years later, in 2022, my first book is in publishing sequence with Partridge, Author Solutions. The first book is entitled ‘Prem Kissa’. Currently I am still in the teaching profession after completing 45 years, so far, and on my way to retirement, and thereafter I will take up writing as a full-time hobby.

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2023 Pravin Maharaj. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse   02/01/2023

ISBN: 978-1-7283-7850-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-7849-7 (e)

Print information available on the last page.

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This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Leaving India

Second Visit Back to India

Back Home to London

Second Trip to India

Back to Normal Life in London

Tragedy Strikes

The Taste of Success

Love Is in the Air

More Acquaintances

Third Trip to India

Tajpur Beach

Mandarmani Resort

Kolkata City

The Family Holiday Ends

Final Weeks in India

Off to Goa

The Bush Bash

London Awaits Again!

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Leaving India

S aying goodbye at the airport seemed like attending a funeral, the only difference being the departing of two living souls, in this case, Premchandra Sharma (Prem) and his son, Aaravindra Sharma (Aaravi – aged 10 years). Prem’s grandfather ( Baba ) stood and spoke to him for nearly an hour at the airport, remembering that the young man had been just seven years old when he lost his young dad. Traveling to England for a new life, Prem was so much older now, but he had no idea what to expect on his first visit. Baba reminded Prem that his father, Krishnand, had been identical to Prem. Once upon a time when his dad was alive, as a young adult, he also wanted to leave Deganga, but he became sick, which spoiled all his plans and got in the way of his success, causing him to be unable to achieve many of his dreams.

The day Prem left for London, thirty years after the death of his father, was one of the saddest days the Sharma family had ever experienced. Resigning his position as an educationist form his school, and the saying goodbye to his wife, Aarashinie Sharma, his elder daughter, Priyavashnie Sharma (Priya - aged 8 years), and his youngest daughter, Premashinie Sharma (Premy - 2 years), was weird and tearful but had deep inner happiness, as they had never been away from their darling brother, Aaravindra Sharma and their doting dad, from the time they lived in India. Mum had to keep her two-year-old daughter from trying to go with dad, away to the departure gates. All Prem’s relatives, along with his wife Aarashi’s parents, brothers, and sisters, were there to send him off. As Prem’s form receded from their sight, tears of sadness and joy filled those who were there, as his departure marked an end and a new beginning in so many ways.

There were moments when Prem considered that if he were unable to make ends meet, he would return to India and continue his life, although he would have to start all over again. However, he was adamant that the risks he had taken and the challenges he faced had always paid off throughout his young years in Deganga and Barasat.

Prem was ever obliging, willing to do anything his grandfather (Baba) asked of him. The two of them had become very close, their hearts melting together. The attachment suddenly was very strong, and Prem found himself of two minds about leaving India. He heard the grief in his grandfather’s voice and felt it in his hug at the airport. The sorrow in his eyes made Prem and Aaravi tear up and cry. Prem’s sister Ramilene wiped away tears as Prem was about to leave.

Jasmeera Maharaj, his eldest sister, and Prem’s two other younger sisters, Ramilene Panday and Premilla Rani Maharaj, had to console Prem’s mum because she was in turmoil over Prem’s leaving for good. His doting sister Premilla Rani cried nonstop and held his hands, preventing him from leaving. Ramilene had to pull her off to allow Prem to walk away. Prem never turned back once as he walked away, his eyes filled with tears, making his vision blurry. Aaravi turned many times to look back and waved as he and his father strode toward oblivion. Out of sight of his relatives, Prem didn’t know that that day at the airport would be the last time he would ever see his grandfather alive, a day when Prem had touched Baba’s feet, bowed, and hugged him just before Prem had gone through the departure gate.

Once in London, Prem and his son had no idea where they would stay or how they would make a start. It was a Sunday afternoon, as they walked out of the airport, they were accosted by a horde of taxi operators, most of them looking to be Indians, from either India or Pakistan, and speaking to Prem in English and Hindi. Prem and his son just walked ahead, trying to locate an honest taxi operator who could advise them well and give them some hope. A nicely clad man about Prem’s age who seemed lovely smiled at them as they passed, standing near his car, and refrained from rushing up to Prem to beg for his patronage. Prem, finding it strange, stopped for a moment. Their eyes met. Prem waited a bit with Aaravi standing beside him, their many bags on the trolley.

In a flash, the middle-aged man used a hand signal, pointed to his car, and stated in fluent English, Can I take you to your accommodation, sir?

Prem, moving the trolley back, answered, I certainly would like to hire your car, but I need some advice first, and I don’t mind paying you extra for it. Er, what is your name?

Certainly, sir. My name is Rohith Chahal. I am at your service. Rohith opened the boot to load the bags.

My name is Prem Sharma, and this is my son, Aaravi Sharma, Prem said. Aaravi went to help the taxi driver with the bags.

Rohith said politely, Sit in the car, Prem, sir, and you too, young man Aaravi. He opened the back door for them and then returned to loading the boot.

Before they left, Rohith and Prem had a healthy discussion. Taking the taxi driver’s advice, Prem decided to stay on the outskirts of London, which would be affordable as a starter. Rohith took Prem and Aaravi to an estate agent’s office, one of his close contacts, to find them a suitable place. Prem and his son paged through many pictures of apartments. The manager, Mr. Singh-Rathore, advised Prem that living in a downtrodden area would be dangerous, although it provided better and cheaper rentals near the train stop. It was better to pay a little more in another suburb, saying it was safer and a better option. Prem jumped on the opportunity to make his start in London.

Although he was renting a little rental shabby flat on the outskirts of London in a run-down area, Greenwood, Prem found it to be liveable for a few months. Aaravi, having noticed some cockroaches and mice in the basement and on the ground floor, didn’t mind the rubbish bins sprinkled all around, some having fallen over, and litter strewn down all over. He alerted his dad, but Prem just said that they’d be there for only a short time and that he was standing by his choice to go with the estate agent’s suggestion. Prem stated that they were on the upper floor, which was safer, so, because of the cheap rent, which is what he could afford, he could save money for other things.

Prem had chosen this rental for many other reasons. First, the metro was close by, so traveling to and from London was convenient. Second, he was living on a tight budget until he could earn enough money to build up a deposit on a home and start a better life, which was his priority. Third, having a little place, Prem and Aaravi could do the house chores together, cook for themselves, and travel around on weekends just to get acquainted and learn how to live in a new country. Fourth, the school bus route was close by, so it would be easier for Aaravi to get to school and back. In the meantime, he also realized that Aaravi would make a few friends at school and might invite them to the rental house, which was close to the football fields for playing soccer, tennis, and other games, enabling a friendship to blossom among schoolmates.

After the trial period of staying in the upstairs rental, Prem and his son concluded that it worked well for them. Prem appreciated the recommendation from the agent, as their neighbors were lovely people who, much like Prem and Aaravi, were immigrants to London and wanted a head start.

When Aaravi was out with his friends one day, Prem made friends with a couple, Desiree and Donald, known as Des and Don, who lived in the next room over. They helped Prem gain a greater understanding of the place. Also, they were people he could talk to after returning late in the afternoon from job hunting at the university. Des and Don bought the cheaper brand of whiskey and drank a few tots each night after dinner before going to bed.

Prem opened a bank account and deposited the money his grandfather had loaned him, along with other cash he had on hand. After conversion, he had about twenty-five hundred pounds in his account, which he used sparingly as money was very tight, his not yet having a job and therefore earning nothing.

In looking for a university job in the mathematics department, Prem visited ten universities in and around London, ultimately attracted to the University of Buckingham. For one thing, the commute by train was easier. He began doing some volunteer work there, helping students with calculus and algebra. Finding temporary work was not an easy feat, by the way, as Prem had an obvious Indian accent and sometimes spoke in broken English. Nevertheless, a principal at one of the universities came to learn of Prem’s talent from some of the lecturers and students, who mentioned the high quality of his volunteer work. The principal called Prem and had a discussion, soon inviting him to come to campus and meet with him and the head of the mathematics department. At that meeting, the two men spoke with Prem at length.

Prem and Aaravi had been in London for three months when their funds ran out, so Aarashi, Prem’s wife, sent some money from India as a backup. What funds were left over, after paying bills, Prem tucked away for another rainy day.

Some months later, a part-time mathematics lecturer resigned and left the University of Buckingham, as he had gotten a better job at another university. Quickly, the principal called Prem and offered him a position teaching a two-credit-hour course for the remainder of the year. Noticing Prem’s reluctance, the principal promised him a full-time job for the following year.

Excited about the news, after three months of trying to secure a job, Prem decided to start searching for a better place, one where he and his son could kick-start their new life in London, relying on the salary Prem would soon be earning to pay the rent.

At the start of his new position as a junior lecturer, teaching mathematics to first-year students, Prem began to make inroads at his university. Seeing as he was well-liked, he was hopeful that he would become an established university lecturer, as he was extraordinarily talented in his craft.

Prem knew that he would begin earning a salary in the New Year and that soon his money from the education ministry, after his resignation from that post, in India, where he used to work, would be put into his account. With the little money his wife had sent, Prem and Aaravi enjoyed a bit of a Christmas vacation together. After Prem had bought a cheap car, the two of them started to travel around Greenwood. At the same time, Prem was looking for a better place, one near the university, to coincide with his wife’s and daughters’ arrival, so eventually he and Aaravi could move away from Greenwood. Prem knew that his time at this run-down place was temporary, confident that his life would change when he received his first month’s salary the following year, his monies to be remitted at the end of each month.

Late in January, two weeks before Prem’s wife, mum, and two daughters were going to leave India, after Aarashini Sharma had gotten word that Prem’s lump-sum payment from the education ministry had come through and a signed cheque had been posted to their address, she phoned her husband and informed him that his money had arrived. It was close to two million rupees, about thirty thousand pounds. Prem knew that his wife, children, and mum were arriving in February and that the little room he had, never mind the vicinity he lived in, was neither a nice place for children to stay nor a place befitting of the women. So, now that he’d gotten his first pay cheque, he went on the hunt for better accommodation, knowing how to budget his funds.

By February, he decided to move into a larger, much more attractive, unfurnished rental home so that his wife, mum, and three children would all have their own rooms. It was a three-bedroom home, an older place. The white landlords were extremely happy to be renting to Prem, knowing that he was a university lecturer. He paid his deposit and two weeks’ rent in advance.

A few days before Aarashi’s leaving India, Prem asked her to repay the hundred thousand rupees, plus three months’ interest, from his lump-sum payment to his grandfather. Baba had given Prem this gift in the presence of Aaravi and had told Aarashi to let Prem know that it was a gift and that he didn’t want the money to be paid back. Prem’s youngest uncle, taken by surprise, thinking that Baba shouldn’t have gifted the money, questioned his dad. Baba made it clear that it was a gift and that his son shouldn’t meddle. Simply having to live with the envy, the son sulked, along with his wife, irritated that such a handsome sum had just been given away to a grandson.

On hearing the news in London that the loan was indeed a gift, Prem telephoned his grandfather immediately and thanked him for his generosity. Baba told Prem that he was very proud of him, and that the money would help him overseas.

On February 14, Valentine’s Day, Aarashi, Prem’s mum, and the two kids, Priyavashini (Priya - 8) and Premashini (Premy - 2), finally left the shores of India, arriving in London eleven hours later, meeting the joyous father and son duo at Heathrow Airport. Prem’s mum had a nine-month visa, which she eventually extended to a year to spend time traveling and staying with Aarashi and the kids.

Soon Prem became highly reputable. His colleagues praised him when they heard that his students loved his teaching style, his warm personality, and his unstinting, colorful character. Taking care of his family of six in London was very different from the cheap life he was accustomed to in India. He found that they had to keep tight to a budget, as having savings was a must.

The kids, Aaravi and Priya, were enrolled in a public school near their home. Aarashi took the responsibility of seeing to their needs. Premy would be eligible to start school at five. She still had a few years to go, so Aarashi and Prem’s mother took care of her at home.

For the Sharma family, starting over in London was a huge struggle. They had to learn many things about life there. First up was the language. They needed to attend to their accents and speak proper English. Then they had to adapt to the different way of eating, and then learn how to live with people of other races. All this was so different from India and their usual way of life. The kids were young enough to change quickly, their friends from school having a major influence. However, the older family members, with their very humble beginnings in London, struggled financially. As a result, refrained from spending extravagantly. Aarashi controlled the money and dictated what would be spent on what, and she diligently made a grocery list each week. The children had little spending money, but it was only Priya who moaned, not the other two.

As the kids became accustomed to staying with their grandma, Aarashi took on some volunteer work at the local library, helping to shelve books. Sometimes, she took Premy with her. At the library, Aarashi had made numerous female friends, to whom she told her stories about India, causing them to laugh and joke. Prem’s mother assisted at home with the cooking in addition to her looking after the needs of Premy, her youngest granddaughter.

The months flew by, the year soon coming to an end. Later in his first year, Prem was flourishing well at his job. His career had started to prosper, which meant he was earning more money, so his bank balance increased bit by bit, allowing the family to live more comfortably. They couldn’t yet buy their own house, as they didn’t have the deposit, so Mum made sure that she remained strict with the spending and put as much money as she could away in savings.

Within their first year in London, Prem had become a well-liked lecturer at the university, with the news of his expertise spreading like wildfire across the mathematics department. Before year’s end, Prem received a letter from the chancellor of the University of Buckingham appointing him to a higher position and congratulating him on having now become part of the permanent staff. And now that he was permanent, the university offered him less expensive accommodation, a three-bedroom place within the university complex, to ensure he would remain at the university for some time. Prem was quick to sign the rental agreement. At his new dwelling, he was saving almost two-thirds of the rent he had paid in London.

It was already December. Prem managed to get his mother’s visa extended to twelve months so she could stay with the family for Christmas and New Year’s. He also organized for her an open return ticket to India.

For their first winter holiday season in London, the Sharmas spent a quiet Christmas and a low-key New Year’s Eve without their extended family, with whom they used to regularly spend all the holidays in India. The Sharmas missed the loud music and fireworks at all the family gatherings in India, especially missing Tamasha and the dhoom dhaam affair. At such events, the noise would be at optimum levels with the festivities in full swing. Everyone, including all the Sharmas’ Indian neighbors, enjoyed the boisterous atmosphere with a wheelbarrow full of beer and other alcoholic beverages to drink and get drunk on, putting them in a joyous mood all evening. Prem, being the main organizer, used to be referred to as the party king. The family in India missed him and his sportiness as most of the merrymaking and revelry happened at his home in Barasat.

The glamorous parties and other events had dwindled after Prem left Barasat for London. In the end, the family realized that hosting large get-togethers was costly, so they stopped doing it as frequently. Soon, instead of lavishly entertaining many people in their homes, they were down to only a few invited guests. As for Prem, London was going to be his family’s new home. They would have to live with the new routine and forget about the things they were used to, the things they loved and enjoyed back in India.

Prem spent that year at the university in London. By the end of the year, it was time for his mother to leave. At the beginning of the New Year, after having spent a white Christmas and New Year with her son and daughter-in-law in England, Prem’s mother found it was a sad farewell, but she was just as happy to be back in India and staying with each of her daughters, which Prem had organized for her.

Prem’s mother, having had a fantastic year living with Prem in London, wished that she could live with her son for a longer time. However, she traveled back and stayed with Ramilene (Rami) in Tari Nagar for six months, and then stayed with Jasmeera (Jasmi) for another six months. She could choose where she wanted to stay now that Prem was abroad. This worked well for the first year.

In the second year, Aarashi found a low-paying job and worked just as hard as her husband to make sure that their coffers grew quickly. Premy was enrolled at a childcare center near the university. Her dad took her in the morning and picked her up after he got off work. At times, when he wasn’t as busy, she would play in his office with some of the female staff when he had to go deliver his lectures. She had just turned four and had another year before being eligible to enroll in school. Aarashi was advised to quit her full-time job and work part time, because Premy required greater care because Prem’s schedule at the university got busier.

As finances were still tight, Aaravi worked in a supermarket, first in the packaging department, then later as a cashier, earning twelve pounds an hour for three hours after school each weekday. With some of his friends, he worked at a nearby tomato plantation, picking and sorting tomatoes. Aarashi still controlled the purse strings, and Aaravi kept his earnings in his wallet, using that money to buy personal items for himself. Mum, Priya, and Premy relied on Dad’s earnings, which Mum used sparingly. Purchasing luxuries and eating at restaurants and food outlets was out of the question, as home-cooked food was easy and cheap. For a while they ate vegetarian food daily because meat and chicken were a bit too expensive. They developed a lovely close-knit family, taking Prem’s little red Toyota and going camping with their tent to save on costs, which made for adventurous outings and wonderful times being together.

One such outing happened during the second year in London, during Christmastime, when Prem was given a second-hand tent by one of his friends at the university, Prem’s only having wanted to borrow one. The family decided to go to Shakespeare Beach and Camping Park. Mum, having packed all the utensils, food, and other items for cooking, squeezed everything into their little car, and they proceeded to the beach to find a tent site. Aaravi and Aarashi helped their dad to pitch the two-room tent, which was exciting for all of them, especially Premy. Priya kept Premy occupied as the rest made sure that their stuff was neatly placed inside. Having no bedrolls, they placed clean sheets inside the text as their beds.

After everything had been set up, the kids went to their little room and played, while Mum and Dad organized some food to eat. Prem and Aarashi loved camping and the great outdoors from their experiences in India, and they continued to love it in England. After eating, closing up their tent, and locking some of their valuables in their car, they all left to go play on the shore. Dad and Mum, being water babies, played on the picturesque beach and swam amid the breakers. Dad always kept Premy next to him. She loved the attention she got from him.

Having gotten a taste of campsites in London, the Sharmas soon befriended two other families: the Pillays and the Vermas. From that day onward, the three families went together on planned outings and trips. After the Sharmas had returned from that first trip, Prem started looking for other campgrounds where he could spend more time with his family and the Pillays and Vermas, causing the threesome group of friends to grow ever larger.

After two years of being in London, Prem had become more favored within university circles. His salary increased twofold, so the family had saved enough to travel abroad. Prem bought them all tickets to travel to India.

Prem would never forget the moment when he separated from his grandfather at the airport about two years ago. In November, while preparing to travel to India, Prem got the news that his grandfather was sick and his movements were slow, so he telephoned Baba to have a chat. Baba was nearing his hundredth birthday, just a month away. Because Prem was returning to India after two years, in November he hoped that the family could celebrate a century of Baba’s life all together in India at the same time. During the telephone call, he told his grandfather that he would meet him in a month’s time, as he had booked his tickets. That was the last time he spoke to his grandfather. Baba perished of old age—he was ninety-nine—three weeks after Prem had made the call to him, in the same year he was going to traveling back to India to see him again. Prem was extremely sad and cried incessantly upon the news of his grandfather’s death. You could say he was heartbroken.

In the ensuing weeks, Prem’s wife and kids surrounded him to give him comfort, as they knew how close he had been to Baba and that Prem had wanted to see his grandfather alive one more time. Feeling that the Lord had betrayed him, Prem was unable to go to his funeral because it was difficult to secure plane tickets to travel back to India, so quickly. Baba had one of the largest funerals in Deganga, and he was cremated in Barasat.

Seeing as Baba had been one of the pioneers of Deganga, the whole local community paid their last respects. Since he had been the community priest, his death was going to leave a big void in all of Deganga, in Barasat, and in the Sharma family. Baba was the eldest of all the family members Prem had in India, so his death marked the end of the sixth generation of the family, as Baba had no siblings. He did have two living sons, Benand Kaka and Harinand Kaka, who were part of the seventh generation. In any event, Prem and his family did travel as planned two weeks later and just happened to be in Deganga for the thirteenth-day ceremony, for Baba. Meeting with his family in Deganga was special, and everyone wanted to know of his experiences in London, and Prem had many stories to recite. The reunion with his extended family and sisters was special and they recollected fond memories of Baba, because they all lived on the farm for all their younger days. Before he knew it, the trip to India was all over, and this put a big hole in Aarashi’s savings, however it was back to London once again, to build up once again.

The following year, Prem was offered a better contract at the university. This was a turning point in the Sharmas’ lives, as they finally saw permanency for themselves in England. Aarashi worked part-time and as a volunteer in the university library, and Prem, as a mathematics lecturer, worked tirelessly at the University of Buckingham. He moved up through the ranks. Being a well-liked, flamboyant academic, he was given the role of assistant senior lecturer, teaching third-year students. That boded well for the whole Sharma family.

Through their hard work, having come from humble beginnings, Prem and Aarashi had the best married life a couple could have. They supported each other with their busy schedules and long hours, and fortunately the kids shouldered some responsibility. Many times, Aaravi took care of his little sister when Prem and Aarashi had to work late. Aaravi was firm and ensured that his sisters were looked after, especially making sure that Premy’s elder sister didn’t boss her around. The bonds among all of them were strong and grew more powerful. They were proud of both their mum and their dad for the wonderful life they were enjoying. Soon their Indian accents started to disappear, and even the little Hindi they knew and had come from India with started to diminish, as English became the language spoken in their home.

In their third year in London, Aaravi and Priya had their own selection of both white and brown-skinned friends at school. When Premy was enrolled in school on her fifth birthday, on March 26, life eased a bit, as Priya was in the same school as her sister, near the rental home. With the new school clothing Mum had bought for her, Premy was very excited for her first day. With her little pink knapsack, Premy was dressed in her cute little red pinafore with a navy-blue inner shirt and was wearing shiny little shoes. Her hair was combed neatly with an Alice band on her head. The family took many pictures that morning, as all the kids were now at school. Usually, the kids traveled with their mum, but on this day, Dad offered to take them to school in his little Toyota because it was Premy’s first day.

Priya was smartly dressed in her blue school uniform with a white shirt. The three children were enrolled at a private school named Silver Star Primary in Buckinghamshire. The house they rented was on the school bus route, so Priya and Aaravi took the bus each day. For Premy it was all new.

It was one of the proudest moments for Prem as he drove Premy to school. Priya and Aaravi also hitched a ride with Dad that morning. In the car park, Dad held Premy and kissed her, then walked with her to meet her new teacher. Aaravi and Priya left to meet with their friends, who were waiting for them.

Dad and the pretty teacher, Mrs. Henrietta Johnson, spoke at length in her classroom as Premy clung to her father, reluctant to leave him. Henrietta took Premy in her lap, cuddling her and speaking to her, as Dad, smiling, watched. He kissed Premy and told the teacher that Premy had siblings at the school, who would fetch her when classes ended that afternoon. However, the teacher stated that she would keep Premy in class until Priya or Aaravi came to collect her.

Dad waved at Premy. She shyly waved back. Prem left pleased and went on his way to the university. For that whole week, Dad took Premy to school and met with the wonderful, Henrietta.

The other two, Priya and Aaravi, loved to hitch a ride when Dad took his car because then they wouldn’t have to wait on the side of the road for the school bus. Soon, Premy said that she wanted to travel on the bus too. After a week, she became used to taking the bus from their home to school. Whenever Prem had no classes at the university in the afternoon, he would rush to their school to meet with Premy and take all his children to the mall for some ice cream or cake, then drive them home after their treat.

Months passed. All three children seemed to be happy at primary school. But next year Aaravi would have to go to Buckinghamshire High School, with Premy and Priya being left at Silver Star Primary School. School life offered the family a lovely routine, with Dad enjoying his university life and with Mum still doing work in the library for a few hours each day to earn some extra money now that Premy was in school. After two years had passed, their life in London was much better. Aarashi took a full-time job at the London Financial Company (LFC) in London.

Prem had just applied for a senior lecturer’s position in mathematics at the university. After his interview, he learned he had won the position, making him responsible for the first- and second-year students in Mathematics, at the university. This gave him an added advantage over his colleagues because, with this position, he was answerable to the deputy chancellor of the university and had monthly meetings with the registrar. So, it was a position of huge responsibility, with a team of five under his wing. Taking the role seriously, Prem became the envy of other lecturers who were older than he was and who felt that he was too young to have been given the leadership role.

While Dad and Mum had hectic lives and busy schedules, Aaravi went through a difficult patch that year, as he lost interest in his schooling and his friends’ influence became a major factor in his life. Prem knew that something was wrong when he got a call from Aaravi’s mathematics teacher, Mr. Armstrong, who told Prem that Aaravi’s math scores were disappointing, having decreased with every test. Once Prem told his wife, they decided to have a chat with Aaravi at home.

Dad asked Aaravi, How is school, my son? You have just this year and the next. Hopefully you will have great results in order to be accepted to university.

Aaravi replied in a hurry, All good, Dad. I know that my grades will be fine by the time I complete school next year.

Mum interrupted, asking, Is there anything we should worry about?

Aaravi, unsure of her what she was asking, said, Why do you ask, Mum?

Dad got agitated and said firmly, We are your parents. We have every right to ask, so please do not question your mum.

Mum decided to stay quiet and allow Dad to engage in the discussion, as none of the kids talked back to him or showed any sign of disrespect when their father spoke in a low, firm voice.

What would you want or like to do at university, Arav? Dad asked.

Aaravi thought for a while. Engineering! he finally said.

Dad pondered for a while and said, Great choice. And what subjects do you need to qualify for entry into an engineering degree course? He asked this even though he knew the degree requirements and the courses needed.

Without any hesitation, Arav mentioned, Mathematics and science. Especially physics.

Mum jumped in again, saying, You love mathematics, Sona [someone special].

This time Aaravi said politely, Yes, Mum.

Dad inquired, So, how are your scores lately? Are they good enough to get you into university?

Aaravi remained silent, knowing that his scores were not good. He dared not lie to his father, knowing that he would get caught, so he waited until he could come up with an answer that both he and his father would appreciate.

Because he was taking his time to answer, Mum became curious and queried, What happened, Sona? Your father is waiting for an answer.

Are your scores getting better or getting worse, Aaravi? Dad spoke with a determined voice. Speak up, please.

Aaravi said in a squeaky voice, Worse, Dad. But I have a good reason. And I promise my grades will get better.

Mum, with a surprised expression on her face, asked in a loud voice, Why has this happened?

Dad was quick to say, It had better be a good reason, or else your future will be very bleak, my dear boy.

Aaravi, in a loud voice, uttered, The teacher is boring, gives us too much homework, and doesn’t explain the homework to us. And I think he doesn’t like me very much.

Mum, shocked, put her hands to her mouth. Is that so?

Dad asked his wife not to intervene, as he wanted Aaravi to speak his mind.

Dad rebutted, I’m not convinced, my dear boy. After a pause, he said, OK, tell us more, but don’t gloss over why your grades are getting worse.

Aaravi was in a fix and needed to come clean. I’m not sure how to answer, but most of what the teacher has taught us in the last few months, we—I mean my friends and I—cannot understand, and when we ask for help, he brushes us aside and says that we must pay better attention in class and listen to what he is teaching.

Seeing that Aarashi wanted to say something, Prem, wanting to talk to Aaravi, asked her to shush. Aarashi stopped in her tracks and resumed listening to her husband interrogate their son.

So, OK, if that is the case, your mother and I would like to meet with your teacher. I will make an appointment. Dad had decided.

Aaravi was happy. Yes, but when?

Leave it to your father. He will phone your teacher. They are friends, I think, Mum said.

No, we’re not friends, but I have seen him a few times at the math meetings and once when he came for a conference at the University of Buckingham, Dad said.

Aaravi suddenly requested of his father, In the meantime, can you help me and three of my friends with calculus and trigonometry, when you have some time?

Oh, most certainly. That is what I wanted to suggest. Great. Where shall we meet, here or at the university? Dad asked.

Aaravi suggested, It is better here because my friends all live nearby. One of them can pick up all the others, as three of them have cars.

Mum was happy about the outcome and wanted to be of assistance. Tell me when the lessons will start. I’ll organize some refreshments for the boys.

Dad was quick to say, Just leave the refreshments for a while and focus on the math. We’ll see how it goes.

Aaravi was delighted, his fear of his dad suddenly vanishing. My friends will be delighted. They have heard about you and how good you are at teaching mathematics.

Dad was quick to respond: Oh, well, this is great. So, we will commence at six o’clock in the evening on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday to start with. We’ll start tomorrow, that is, Tuesday.

Aaravi quickly replied, Mmm, I’m not sure whether my friends will be ready by tomorrow.

Just start with whoever is here, as we want your scores to go up, Sona. If your friends can’t make it, then they will lose out, Mum chirped.

Dad informed Arav, Let them know. Give them the starting times and say that we will definitely start tomorrow.

The next day, Dad phoned Mr. Armstrong at the university to make an appointment, which was arranged for Wednesday at four o’clock at the school. Prem asked Aarashi to take some time off from her job to be present at the meeting. Prem called and told his son so that he could make room in his schedule for Wednesday at four o’clock.

Upon Dad’s request, Aaravi organized a place in the garage with his dad’s data projector and screen for lessons and got the spare laptop ready. Lessons started with Aaravi and two of his friends the next day. At the lesson, Dad asked them to list all the things they couldn’t understand, what was confusing, and what they wanted to learn henceforth. He asked them to email their answers to him so that he could send them a lesson plan and how-to strategies for completing the lessons. They spent their first day of class having some fun talking about calculus and trigonometry and taking a quiz so Prem could ascertain their level of knowledge.

After grading the quizzes later, Prem realized that his students’ knowledge and skills in both calculus and trig were weak. They couldn’t connect certain theorems or show mastery of basic structure. He used their responses to tailor his teaching approach.

Aaravi, Johnny, and Lasantha had been the first students to arrive for the hour-long lesson on Tuesday. Before they left, Prem asked them each to bring a ruler, a square line book, a sharp pencil, and an eraser for the remaining lessons.

On Wednesday at four o’clock, Prem met with Mr. Armstrong, who laid out his reasons for the meeting and then answered certain pertinent questions Prem asked.

The teacher then said, Against this backdrop of Aaravi’s poor performance in school the past few months, I would like to ask Aaravi what is going on.

Dad, quick to reply, said, No, I don’t want to put my son on the spot, as I know his capabilities. I have a few questions before we discuss the reasons why his results are disappointing, as you allege.

OK, let’s see if I can answer these questions, Mr. Sharma, the teacher said.

The school, meaning you, Mr. Armstrong, has discovered that Aaravi’s math scores are declining. What about the other students in his class? Are there any who have similar issues? Dad asked the teacher.

The teacher quickly stated, Well, we do not divulge a student’s results to anyone other than his or her parents.

I’m not asking you to compare students’ grades, Dad responded. Instead, I am asking for a holistic view of the class. Is it only Aaravi, or are other students in the class having trouble understanding the material?

The teacher said, Aaravi and his friends are the main ones who are earning poor marks.

Looking at his son, Dad asked, Is that correct, Aaravi?

Aaravi quickly uttered, No, Daddy, many other students who are not my friends have found math difficult in the past few months.

The teacher questioned, How do you know this, Aaravi?

Dad, annoyed, said loudly, Let’s not get into the nitty-gritty, Mr. Armstrong. The school has a responsibility to ensure students are making progress. As a parent of a child who goes to this school, and as a member of the board, I and my wife pay exorbitant fees to ensure that the students are learning. What I propose is that the students who are having difficulty must be given a chance to relearn the content. I have heard through the grapevine that when students ask you for help, you deny their requests and make some sarcastic comment to the other students to justify your ridiculing of the student who asked.

That is not correct, Mr. Sharma. It is a lie, the teacher was quick to rebut.

Mum, agitated with the teacher, intervened, saying, Did you ask your teacher for help, Avi?

Aaravi answered his mum, Yes, a few times. My friends did too. But we were only told to listen better in class.

The teacher said, I don’t remember you asking for help, Aaravi.

Dad quickly went into advocacy mode and said, I am not pinning the blame on anyone, but I will say that there seems to be a missing link here. Students will only thrive in mathematics if they connect with the content and the teacher and rise to the challenge. But nothing or no learning will happen if one of these links is missing. And here there seems to be a link missing.

The teacher uttered, I am sorry if you or Aaravi feels that way, but I make sure that my teaching reaches all my students. I always try my best to support every student who needs assistance.

Mum looked at Aaravi. He looked back at her. They both felt that his teacher was hiding the truth. There was some silence in the meantime, which Dad eventually broke. It was obvious to Dad that there was a big cover-up, and that Mr. Armstrong was shirking his responsibility, but he had no proof.

Let’s move ahead, Mr. Armstrong, and get this sorted, Dad said. I have asked Aaravi to continue asking you for help, and I hope that he won’t be sidelined because of this meeting this afternoon.

The teacher, unhappy with the comment, said, "Sidelined was not appropriate, Mr. Sharma, as we are professionals after all."

Dad didn’t bother to challenge him. He summed up his thoughts, saying, I am a mathematics lecturer. As I am sure you are aware, I lecture university students, and I hold sessions at night for those who want extra help. I see gratitude in my students’ eyes after each lesson. I also have many of your students three nights a week at my home for free lessons in calculus and trig. If they are fooling around, as you allege, in your class, then why would they take the trouble to come to my home for extra lessons? I will leave you to think about that. And I beg for your leave now.

Dad got up and shook Mr. Armstrong’s hand. Mum and Aaravi followed Dad out, no one speaking as they left the classroom. Dad was very annoyed and knew that Mr. Armstrong had tried to pawn the unacceptable scores of on the students, when it was, he who was not giving proper tutoring in the subject. Dad did not speak as he drove home, and neither did Mum nor Aaravi, but Aaravi was extremely proud of his dad and how he tackled Mr. Armstrong.

In the meantime, Dad thought he’d like to have another meeting with Mr. Armstrong, this one including the board chairperson and the school principal, to delve further into the controversy. He told no one of his proposal, as the school principal knew him well. They had chatted a few times at conferences on campus.

Prem called the school principal, Mr. Bruce Knightly, the next day, for a chat, discreetly discussing his meeting with Mr. Armstrong. The principal said he would carry out a little investigation by chatting randomly with the students, including Aaravi, about their math lessons. He took down a few notes from his talk with Prem and said, As principal, I am responsible for student achievement. I am unhappy about Aaravi’s poor performance.

Back at Prem’s little rental home on Friday, two more students, Bishwanth and Gregory, joined in the lessons. Dad asked if more would be joining the class, not wanting too many more in the small classroom. By Monday the following week, five more students wanted to join in. Dad was very sceptical about having a class of eleven. However, from his discussion with Mr. Armstrong and the school principal, he decided to take any number of students and move the lessons to the university, using a spare lecture room, as it was not too far from his home.

The students set up chairs and tables for their parents, and soon the dads and mums had started a new social club for that hour while their children studied with Prem. The students loved the course and loved Prem’s teaching. They were also proud of Arav, as they shortened his name. He became the class hero because of his dad. At the end of the semester, Dad invited all the students and their parents for an enjoyable potluck evening with some light refreshments, music, and dancing.

Dad became even more interested in Aaravi’s grades. When he looked at the students’ scores on the next test, he saw that all their scores had shot up between 50 percent and 90 percent. He subsequently received lots of praise. Mr. Armstrong even telephoned Prem to apologize and to thank Prem for his support of his students for the past two months. Prem made Mr. Armstrong aware that the students had complained to the principal, so the principal supported his efforts to offer extra lessons in the hopes of raising the students’ scores. However, Prem said that he was only a source of rescue and that as the mathematics teacher, Mr. Armstrong had the power to sustain and improve his students’ love of mathematics and thereby cause their grades to rise. Mr. Armstrong readily asked Prem for support in areas where he thought he had a need, causing Prem’s respect for his colleague to grow deeper. They became great friends, soon after.

By the end of that year, Prem had spent three full years at the university. He was forty-one years old when he was given the position of head of mathematics for first-year students, the following year. Many older staff members were envious that his short stay at the university had seen him move from a volunteer to a dean so quickly. It didn’t bother Prem, as he saw it as a meritorious promotion. Because of his academic qualifications, his love for mathematics, and his love for his students, he had earned the position rightfully. But being a young, handsome dean, he became attractive to many women his age. Being a flirt himself, he found it hard to ward off such women. However, he kept himself aloof and refused to entertain any women who wanted to spend their time in his office trying to woo him and suggesting promiscuous activities during discussions, as he knew their intentions, wanting to have dinner with him or wanting to visit him at his abode.

Being open-minded, Prem told his wife about all the women who came to his office who he thought were too forward, relating some of the discussions he had had with them. Many women asked him if he was married, as Prem never wore jewellery or a ring. Aarashi warned her husband that taking women in his car, and even taking them to a restaurant for lunch, would be seen in a different light by the bloodsucking people who were envious of him, potentially putting Prem’s career in jeopardy and causing him to fall from his high perch to a place of disgrace. Prem was always mindful of this as he had a cushy job, a cushy office, and he bought a newer nicer car, trading in his little red Toyota. And there were lots of attractive women around him to complete his array of cushiness. But he knew that other women, besides his wife and those in his family, would spell danger, so he kept a good distance from any who made suggestive remarks to him or wanted to have a sit-down with him, perhaps for lunch or dinner. He learned quickly as he settled into his job as the new dean of first-year students.

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Second Visit Back to India

T he first visit after just being in London for more than a year, when he heard that Baba was unwell. It was a rushed visit after his sad demise of passing away from old age, so they travelled to attend the thirteen-day ceremony for Baba. During the first return to India, Prem and his family stayed in Deganga most of the time. His three children were pampered, and they loved to hear Premy speak, as she had a distinct British accent, a little different from Aaravi and Priya. For Prem and Aarashi, their English accent disappeared, and they spoke in their colloquial ling and accent in India, as if they never been abroad.

Now, having been living in London for just more than three years, Prem’s visit with his family was long overdue, to mix and mingle on a happier note, with all his family and friends who were very eager to hear about his new life in England. The Sharmas were received warmly at Kolkata airport with an overdose of hugs and kisses. Many had traveled to welcome their rich cousins, as they assumed Prem was a university lecturer, and earning lots of money. Prem was accorded an extremely high amount of respect and frontline privileges whenever he visited family and friends back in India. Similarly, Aarashi was treated as the rich sister or cousin from London when she met with all her relatives. Prem’s mum kept Premy with her all the time, as Priya and Aaravi mingled with their cousins, and little was seen of them until it was eating or bedtime.

The Sharmas had three commitments on this visit to India: Prem’s niece’s wedding; his grandfather’s yearly ceremony; and the birthday of his sister Premilla Rani. At each of these events, or just about any get-together, whether in Barasat, in neighboring towns or cities, or somewhere in West Bengal or Bihar, everyone had loads of fun dancing and drinking spirits, beer or wine. Knowing fully well that he would have more people traveling with him on this visit, Prem had hired a large ten-seater Toyota HiAce for his family of six, including his mother, and for their luggage, which he knew that some close relatives would be stuck with them on this visit.

After three years away, this would be a nostalgic December visit, the extended family all coming together for Prem’s niece Pranusha Panday’s wedding at his sister’s (Ramilene’s) home in Tari Nagar. Prem had been asked to give a speech, as an honorary guest, which he agreed to do. Once he delivered it, it brought lots of memories back for his audience, the wedding guests, who hung on to his every word and were captivated by his appearance. The wedding haveli that weekend was highly entertaining. The merrymaking went on from the time Prem set foot in his sister’s home to the day when all the wedding celebrations were over, and he would leave Tari Nagar.

Prem and Aarashi had brought many gifts and much money with them. Prem distributed the gifts to his immediate family, and Aarashi took a ride with a relative and deposited all her and Prem’s money in a CD in a Kolkata bank, as it paid a higher rate than in London. As the interest accrued, they would have a healthy bank balance to spend on holidaying in India.

The wedding was a dhoom dhaam affair. All five of Prem’s family were received as British celebrities. What with the camaraderie, all the associated noise and chaos, the delicious cuisine, and so many self-appointed leaders telling people what to do, it suddenly dawned on Prem that life in Britain was laid back and peaceful. However, within a short time, Prem began living and behaving like his Indian family again, speaking in Hindi and mixing his linguistic with broken English. His sister was very proud that her brother and sister-in-law were present to perform their roles for the vivah sanskar, or wedding ceremony. Most of the extended family were invited for the Saturday evening hurdee ritual, but on Sunday, only the immediate family were invited because of limited seating and hall space.

It was not a traditional wedding but a modern one, with guests seated at round tables, their places identified by name tags. Aarashi’s sister, Ahsivan, and her husband, Roychand Maharaj (Roy), were seated at the same table as Prem. Ma and Aarashi had specific duties to do onstage, so Prem remained with his three children and his saru (brother-in-law) and sali (sister-in-law) at the table. At one point Roy left to meet some other family outside the hall, leaving Prem and Ahsivan alone. Ahsivan, who was extremely shy whenever she was with Prem, said little, just smiling, and blushing when Prem flirted with her, complimenting her hairstyle and her lovely attire, as she was dressed in a yellow and orange sari. Soon Aarashi arrived to join them, spoiling the conversation for her philandering husband. Ahsivan felt relieved that her sister had come back to the table after she had completed her small role. Not long after, Prem left and went outside with Roy to have a smoke and meet with others. These modern sorts of weddings did not suit the men, as they felt restricted sitting in just one spot and passively watching the bridal couple as they got married. Although this was the actual reason why people were invited to a wedding, for Roy and Prem, the side attractions were far better.

After having seen his niece get married, Prem went back to his brother-in-law Pradish Panday’s farmhouse in Tari Nagar to spend another night with his sister and tick off that part of his itinerary for his visit to India. Prem and Aarashi always made the time and took the effort to meet with as many cousins, friends, and relatives as they could on each of their trips. Now they had the remaining two weeks to visit other family and friends in and around Kolkata and Barasat.

At his grandfather’s final ceremony, Prem met everyone from his father’s side of the family—a spectacular reunion. He and all his cousins sat at the enormous havan puja to offer samaghree and ghee as ablutions, placing them into the sacred fire as a farewell to their grandfather, who had been dead twelve months.

After the ceremony, Prem’s kaka, Harinand, begged Prem and Aarashi to stay with them in Deganga, on the farm estate, and they obliged, spending a day there reminiscing about their past and catching up on some parts of their lives. It was as if Prem had never left India. They remained glued to each other’s sides throughout Baba’s twelfth month ceremony, to its end, and brought finality to Baba’s departed soul.

The festivities, the traditions, the sense of all having the same cultural background, and the nostalgia arising from being with so many family members and being in the spotlight was phenomenal. The Sharmas were treated like celebrities or superheroes. Little did they know that upon returning to London and resuming their usual routines, they would become deeply entrenched, which would diminish their hopes of returning to India in the future.

The next day the Sharmas left to visit Prem’s second sister, Premilla Rani; her husband, Jamandri; and their four children, who lived in Amdanga, about twenty minutes from Barasat. Here, very close friends and family celebrated Premilla’s forty-seventh birthday with lots to drink and lively Bollywood music. Premilla’s house was tiny, but they all squeezed in somehow, with Prem’s family even staying the night. Premilla and her husband, Jamindri’s three children, Tinashen, Vimendra, and Karashini, enjoyed the new Britons and asked them many questions about England.

The night was highly entertaining. Although his second sister, Premilla, was poor financially, she sought to provide a bit of everything that her brother liked. She had cooked crab curry, offered a bottle of whiskey, and made roti and prawn curry. She served Prem and rubbed his face umpteen times, showing her love, very excited that her brother from London was in her house. She teared up and cried at times when they reminisced about their early days in Deganga, when Prem was a little boy.

When it was time to leave the next day, Prem called his sister into a room where they could be alone and presented her with a wallet filled with thirty thousand rupees, asking her to keep it away from her husband, who wasn’t working and lived on her labor. Premilla held Prem and cried, not wanting to release him. For Prem it was a mere three hundred pounds sterling, but for his sister it was a lot of money, a sum that would provide groceries for her family for a few months while her husband was out of work.

Before leaving there, Prem indicated to Aarashi that soon it would time to visit her own family, and he would leave her at her parent’s home in Bardhhaman. However, the next day, the Sharmas left for Haora, which was always the high point of Prem’s visits to India, where his elder sister Jasmi lived. She had a large home with a bedroom where the Sharmas could keep all their luggage and have access to a change of clothes. They spent an