Conversation flows. They discuss the price of onions (a national obsession), the uncle who is getting married, and the aunt who is sick. No phones are allowed at the table (except for the teenager, who hides it under her thigh).
Rohit, a twenty-eight-year-old software engineer, groaned and pulled the duvet over his head. "Five more minutes, Maa," he mumbled, though he knew it was futile. In an Indian household, 'five more minutes' was a negotiation tactic that never worked.
The conversation is a blend of gossip and logistics: "Did you see the Sharma family’s new car?" "The milkman didn't come today." "Your husband’s cough isn't getting better, give him kadha (herbal decoction) instead of that store-bought medicine."