The Flat

Many of the key events in An Obedient Father occur in Ram’s flat, where he lives with Anita and Asha. The flat is small and unadorned. Ram notes that the “common room is nearly empty and has pink walls and a gray concrete floor. In a corner a fridge hums, because the kitchen is too small to hold it” (13). After taking Asha to a wedding reception, Ram assaults his granddaughter in his bedroom. This event catalyzes much of the novel’s dramatic arc. Ram eventually promises to leave the flat to Anita after he dies. Anita later chooses to lock Ram in his bedroom for much of the day; after months of imprisonment, Ram dies and Anita inherits the flat. When Kusum visits Delhi years later, Anita considers selling the flat.

Beri

Ram spends much of his childhood in Beri, a village outside of Delhi. He...