An Anglo-Indian in Love: a tale of love, betrayal, trauma and conflict in post-colonial Calcutta

The path of love rarely runs smooth. And when you put together two people from diametrically opposite backgrounds, the complications only multiply.

An Anglo-Indian in Love is the heart-wrenching tale of Cindy, a 36-year old Anglo-Indian beauty trapped in an abusive second marriage. The result of an English captain’s affair with a beautiful Indian girl, Cindy represents the neither-here-nor-there dilemma of the Anglo-Indian community in post-colonial India of the 1950s.

Shunned by the Indians who viewed the community as being British loyalists and not being Indian enough to be part of the mainstream, the Anglo-Indians felt a sense of loss of identity after the rulers left India in 1947. While many members of the community migrated to foreign shores, there were others who were left facing a future with little hope because they were not seen to be foreign enough to be accepted by the west.

Cindy’s life takes an unusual turn when she runs into Dilip at a local football match. He is the local hero who must overcome his traumatic past. Disowned by family and exploited by the local politicians, Dilip – fondly called dada by friends and well-wishers – is a hero to many who see him as a modern-day Robin Hood. Yet, there are many others for whom he is the despicable local toughie. The book delves into Dilip’s mind to find out the reason for his multi-faceted personality.

It is not love at first sight. What begins with misunderstanding and anger slowly transforms into acceptance and longing. But they must overcome the barriers of religion, culture, language and socio-economic background that threaten to pull them apart. Not to forget the burden of societal norms, their traumatic past and the age difference between them.

There is Cindy’s abusive husband Bert who thinks nothing of challenging Dilip to a fight unto death for trying to win his wife’s affections. And Dilip’s childhood friend and sympathiser, Liora, who knows Dilip better than Dilip himself. Not to forget Cindy’s aunt, Gloria. Does she believe in a future for Cindy and Dilip together?

Set in the Calcutta of the 1950s, the former capital of British India serves as a fitting backdrop to the tensions and undercurrents that existed between the Anglo-Indians and those who considered themselves as the only true inheritors of independent India.

Is Dilip able to redeem himself? Can Cindy make a clean break from her past and begin life anew? Will the two be able to break through the several hurdles that threaten to pull them apart forever? Read the book only if you believe in true love being causeless.