Leaving India

by Minal Hajratwala

  In Fiji: (late) Bhagwan Gokal, Brijlal Kapadia, Jagmohan Narsey, Jiten M. Narsey, Jiten'T. Narsey, Lili Narsey, Mahendra and Panna Hazratwala, Pratibha Kumar-Aniawala, Pushpa Vrajlal, R. I. Kapadia, Ratilal and Dhangauri Narsey, Tara Gopaldas, Thakor ("Tom") Narsey, Uttam Narsey, Venilal Narsey.

  In Hong Kong: Hemesh Chhiba, Mahendra Gokal.

  In India: Amrat Khatri, Bimal Barot, Harish Kapadia, Jaswant Kapadia, Jaydeep Parmar, (late) Jekisan Narsai Chohan.

  In New Zealand: (late) Manilal Narsey, Pravin and Laxmi Narsey, Rama Khatri.

  In South Africa: Bina Nagar, Gangaram Ramjee, Harilal Ramjee, Mahendra Kapitan, Praveena Ramjee, Renuka Kooverjee, Savita Nagar, Veena Kapitan.

  In the United Kingdom: Anil Hazratwala, Chandraprakash Khatri, Harilal Narsai, Kamlaben Khatri, Minal Khatri, Mukesh Khatri, Sumita Khatri, Rajnikant Khatri, Shashikant Khatri.

  In the United States: Bhanu Hajratwala, Bharti Damudar, Bhupendra Hajratwala, Dhiren Narotam, Kokila Kalidas, Mala and Madhukant Kumar, Moti Dullabh, Nainesh Ramjee, Nayan Hajratwala and Heidi Naasko, Ramesh Gokal, Tara Narotam, Vinay Kumar, Vrajlal Ramjee.

  * * *

  Family Trees

  KEY

  means marriage

  Male main character of a chapter in BOLD SMALL CAPS

  Female main character of a chapter in BOLD ITALIC SMALL CAPS

  Male names in roman

  Female names in italic

  * * *

  Index

  Family members are indexed by first name, with relationships to the author included in parentheses. Other individuals are indexed by last name.

  * * *

  MINAL HAJRATWALA is a writer, performer, poet, and queer activist based in San Francisco, where she was born before being whisked off to be raised in New Zealand and suburban Michigan. She spent seven years researching and writing Leaving India, traveling the world to interview more than seventy-five members of her extended family. As a journalist, she worked at the San Jose Mercury News for eight years and was a National Arts Journalism Program fellow at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. She is a graduate of Stanford University.

  Jacket design by Martha Kennedy

  Front jacket photographs © Dinodia (sari) and

  © Martha Kennedy (sky and palms)

  Spine and back jacket photographs courtesy of the author

  Author photograph © Bob Hsiang

  HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT

  www.hmhbooks.com

  * * *

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Front

  1. Water

  Part One: "Coolies"

  2. Cloth

  3. Bread

  Part Two: Subjects

  4. Salt

  5. Story

  Part Three: Citizens

  6. Brains

  7. Shelter

  8. Body

  Part Four: Destiny

  Back