Einsteinava

If Einstein had been born in Kanpur, he might have been called Einsteinava and teased for his seemingly nonsensical theories, like his supposed discovery of gravity. Even young Arshad, at the age of seven, was jokingly referred to as Einstein, not because of his intelligence, but because everyone regarded him as unintelligent. Every day, his father, Nafees Miyaan, would insist on taking him to school, determined to prevent his son from following in his footsteps as a garage mechanic. This placed immense pressure on Arshad's elder brother, Soheb, to pursue the science stream in ninth grade.

Nafees Mian harbored dreams of opening his own garage, while Arshad's mother, Nafisa, longed for a day when she could sleep without worrying about money. Arshad's grandmother, Rukhsar Begum, dreamt of becoming a cricket commentator. Even the guava tree in their courtyard, rendered sterile due to excessive pesticide spraying, yearned to bear sweet guavas. Every item in the house, painted blue - be it the tin utensils, wooden chairs, cupboards, or stools - wished to reveal its original color, obscured by layers of leftover distemper paint. Arshad's best friend 8 year old collector dreamt of discovering Alibaba's treasure, while every household in the neighborhood, akin to Hawai Chacha, aspired to purchase roadside land and build rental shops.

All the characters in this tale hail from your very neighborhood, familiar faces you've known for years.