5
Prema had come to India for freedom, but it seemed she was thwarted at every turn. She explained this to her father on the phone, standing in the corridor of her uncle's house in Pathankot, Punjab, desperately needing privacy and feeling close to tears. She took a deep breath and tried to stay calm and rational. She knew rationality was what would sway him, not crying or making threats.
"You're right," he told her. If she closed her eyes she could picture his office in Vancouver, Canada. She felt a wave of homesickness. "You need to take a trip," he said. "Go to the south, see some of the beautiful Indian sights. You need to do some more investigation before you come home. I know they're terrible, they boss me around too—"
"It's not that they're terrible," Prema broke in. She couldn'
