As they drove to see their seventy four year old paralytic grandmother, Meerut, Gauri kel around al her brother Raliul, sitting quietly next to the window in the undenlaud. did not speak could no wear and saw poorly througl his cyes lle stopped Erowing w he was 160 meters and struggled against obesity A wall avulism ihu h uway from omside world He spent most of his time lost in his own musings, nodding. laughing. ucking and crying at pageants o he could scc. Growing up Gauri and her clder sister played Flames, mude friends, and went our to muvies and parties Raliul stayed at home entertaining himself on a rocking chair, stanng al television or playing with curly glass bottles- his lifelong fascination During his leens Ralnul suruggled with the enmotional overkod of adolescence Scited by of anger, he would burst inru uncontrollable tears or rake his fingemails down his face until his hecks blod ile passed through senarul instinct Nu. es, each teurArif by a peculiar rimal First there was round-kissing Ever so often for no mpparent reason, he would stop in misstep drop to his knees and give the iloor a long passionate kiss Wiping the dirt fron he would call my sland up and, with an air of accomplishment, continue his way gave way to spinning in place. From a s g pusilion, Rahul wuuld Ground-kissing suddenly stand up, twirl around as if he were unwinding h ble string and nself from an imvisi then, satisfied and take his seat e whirled three times never more, never less 7 For years, the family reaction to Rahul's behavior was emhamassment, anger and resentment Although his narents were more underslanding, the two sisters fell he waved his most humiliating stunts when they were in public older, liowever, she began to understand that he had no control over his As Gauri got uctions, laat she could not judge him as she judged others. Ile dimcult or e found strange. He was iasi nemt As she drove, other memories floated through her mind: memories of nani, arms like sticks. Nani's thin, shaking fingers carefully unwrapping packets to avoid learing llie papcr. which she folded neatly by her side And, of course, talking so much so that others could hardly spcak. and Rahul could not talk, they understood each other While nani could t lister perfectly. She played and smiled with him and, more importanL accepted him just as he was She never showed disappointment that he was not normal, but rather regarded him with fascination, patience and warmth As Gauri and Rahul arrived at nani's home and stepped into her room, she saw that the strokes had left nani urumbling and unresponsive. The hollow, gaping mask that stared up from her pillow was the face of a wised up stranger. Her mouth hung open. Her wide misty eyes, blinked and suured, but appeared not to see 12 Gauri and Rahul's mama(2) with whom mani lived, stood around the bed, smiling understandingly mumbling everything would be all right. Stripped of her verbal arm our