Coffee with the Malhotras

The Malhotras were known to us through my aunt who is their family doctor. I had taught Riya when she was in high school. Not much had changed in their luxirous Hiranandani Gardens duplex. The sofas, the television were as they had been 10 years ago. Rekha aunty maintains a pooja room and affiliates with the hare krishna mission. Mr. Malhotra, an almost enigmatic presence, runs his manufacturing business from Pune, or so I hear. Riya, who has grown up a little, confesses her lack of interest in papa's business. ' I really want to be an actress', she says. I take a sip from my coffee and nod in agreement. Riya grew up knowing Shah Rukh Khan personally in Bandra. 'SRK's sister is a very good friend of mine' she adds, before I have a chance to pontify - any well meaning elder would point out various advantages of a life in theatre or dress design over the precariousness of bollywood. Rekha aunty adds, while refuelling my coffee guzzlejug, ' How many times have I told Ree to take an easier career path like fashion. Look at her paled physique. She smokes to stay slim'. I do not condescend on women who smoke but smile hard just in case my cheekbones indicate otherwise. I ask the acting-fashion graduate if she had considered any alternatives; a career in fashion as her mom would like, or perhaps, even mass media communications. She says that the latter is a possibility - she has written to channel V and she considers VJ'ing to be an exciting prospect. My coffee mug looks empty and I am about to leave. Ree promises to send me her portfolio in case I had contacts in bollywood.

What is happening with the Malhotras used to be unusual among middle class families; it was always a tell tale sign of upward mobility. That a family is a sum of three different individuals might be a rather normal malady in the west but in India, only the very wealthy suffer from such afflictions. Rekha aunty, who comes from an erudite academic family, would rather wish they all lived together and pursued spirituality. Mr Malhotra, on the other hand, insists they would rather indulge with individual pursuits, and Ree, confused about what is right, is smoking cigarettes, although, she adds in favor of her good morals, she does not have a boyfriend. As India marches into the 21st century, many Indian families find themselves embroiled in the chore of conflict resolution at home. Can Indians handle western standards of independence or might we need to adapt western culture intelligently, so as to optimize its good effects ? It is clear that tossing kids in a hammock of enduring family bonds is desirable but to what extent aspiring parents can compromise their individual convictions or aspirations is something they would rather find out in advance.