Despite living in separate apartments, families often choose to live in the same building or neighborhood. They maintain daily contact and shared childcare.
In many households, the living room television remains the central entertainment hub.
Last Diwali, my aunt came from the US after 5 years. She walked in, saw the same dusty swing on the verandah, the same chipped kullad (clay cup) for chai, and my grandmother yelling at the milkman. She started crying.