Mirpur Khas

Mirpur Khas is the town Nisha and Amil were born in and where their family lives prior to the partition of India into two new, smaller states, India and Pakistan. The town is representative of life prior to the partition, when Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs all lived together in the same space and shared daily elements of their lives despite differing ethnoreligious identities. However, following the partition, Mirpur Khas, like the 'old' India more generally, begins to fall apart. The town is wracked by violence, intracommunal tension, and political turmoil which culminates in Hindu residents fleeing for their lives. Amil and Nisha love Mirpur Khas, but they, too, begin to feel ostracized and targeted when children from the town begin to bully them on the basis of their identities.

Nisha's Family Home

Nisha's family home is the site of significant memories for both her and for Amil...