In the 1970s, India is reeling under Emergency and in Rourkela, a Nehruvian dream town in Orissa, a small boy is struggling to deal with hos dysfunctional family. The arrival of a surrogate mother for Appu causes his mother's madness to take a furious turn. Years later, Appu's father dies on a summer evening in Bangalore. In the course of that night, Appu pores over letters, diaries and family albums to slowly come to terms with his mother's schizophrenia and its effect on those living under its shadow. Amandeep Sandhu was born in Rourkela and has lived in Orissa, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Chattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. He earned a Masters in English Literature from the University of Hyderabad and is currently settled in Bangalore. He has worked as a farm-hand, woollen-garment seller, shop assistant, tuition master, teacher and journalist with the Economic Times. He is currently a technical writer.