Desi Americans not-at-home in India

NEW DELHI: The American desi is increasingly making a metaphorical trip to his roots, as is evident through a barrage of young Indian diasporic films of late. But what happens when the American desi actually returns to India? Does he find his roots and is it happily-ever-after or is it back to the Big Apple for the Umrika-returned young Indian? Sunday Times finds out...
Homecoming this time was supposed to be for good.For desi Americans, many of whom had done well in the US, home was India where they’d spent their childhood. Nostalgia and growing children seemed to make the decision to move back home just right.
But for Arjun Sahni, a civil engineer, and his wife, Meeta, the reality turned out different. Homecoming after nine years in New York was exciting, but only in the beginning. They had family here. A house too. The children got admissions into good public schools.
Arjun had bagged a high-paying job with a construction firm. Eight months later ‘‘nothing seems alright,’’ says Arjun. ‘‘The ‘give and take’ that’s part of the construction business is driving me crazy.’’ Meeta too has had enough ‘‘emotional reunions’’ with friends and family. ‘‘I miss the fun weekends in New York. The kids are bored. School is all academics. They hate the restrictions I put on their activities because of the erratic traffic. Imagine living here the rest of our lives.’’ They probably won’t.
Srishti Dave, an MBA from Pune, appears to be in the same league. She shifted from London with her husband and five year-old daughter. Along came their two fully-furnished bathrooms and a designer kitchen! ‘‘But it’s not enough. I miss the freedom I enjoyed in London.
There’s something about this country that turns even the most liberated male into a conservative pain. But I’ve decided to go back. If my husband agrees, fine. If he doesn’t, well...I’m sure he’ll follow.’’
It’s an emotion that’s echoed by most Indian women and girls who’ve lived a while in the West.
Ask Aditi and Aishna Sengupta — both born in the US. The two teenagers came to India when they lost their father, an executive in a multinational. India would be better, their mother said. In the beginning it was small things — ‘‘orange juice is not as tasty’’ or ‘‘I don’t like the parks’’.
That changed to ‘‘people ask too many questions’’ and ‘‘men stare so much’’. The girls turned into introverts, hated meeting relatives. That’s when their mother decided to return. Back to the US of A.