For children: Three young cousins must protect their grandmother’s home and legacy

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The jhoola in Nani’s house used to be Safina’s favourite place on earth. She and her cousins would lie down on it, and one of them would get down and push and then clamber back on. They used to arrange the top of the jhoola with pillows they’d filched from one of the rooms and stare at the ceiling above as the swing creaked back and forth slowly. Once or twice, one of them would hop down and get snacks – mostly long, thinly cut crescents of raw mango, sprinkled with chilli powder and salt, which they would slowly nibble on all afternoon.

Some of the menfolk were sitting on that jhoola now, talking quietly among themselves, and inadvertently, whenever someone tried to stand, putting their foot on the ground for a firmer hold, the jhoola would move back and hit their thighs, making them let out a small “oof”.

Safina watched them from a room’s windows, and felt a jolt of misgiving at the way men occupied spaces even in a funeral home. The women huddled inside the rooms while the men sat outside, their demeanour so different, so wide-shouldered, as if they were all supremely glad they weren’t the immediate family...

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