The Large House
David, a quiet and unassuming young man from Katni, moves to Jabalpur for a job at a courier company. In search of accommodation, he meets Ana, who agrees to rent him her apartment. A friendship slowly begins between them. When David’s mother learns he has settled down, she visits him and insists he consider marrying Eva, the daughter of her friend. Though David objects, out of respect for his mother’s delicate emotional state, he agrees to meet Eva—but devises a plan to sabotage the proposal by appearing in dishevelled clothing and behaving frivolously. Eva is amused, but David’s mother is humiliated. The proposal is rejected, and she returns home in anger.
David and Ana’s relationship gradually deepens. He learns about her troubled past: a missing mother and an alcoholic father. Just as a bond begins to take shape between them, David is transferred to Bargi, a rural town outside Jabalpur. Concerned by the change, Ana promises to visit him, reassuring both David and his mother. David moves, and in time, adapts to the slower pace of village life.
In Bargi, David befriends an elderly woman affectionately called Old Mother. Known for her kindness, she quickly grows fond of David and invites him into her life. He also meets Sheila, her reclusive housekeeper, a woman weighed down by sorrow and silence. As David becomes part of their world, he learns that Old Mother’s son, Peter, lives in London and hasn’t visited in three years. Over time, David uncovers Sheila’s past and her reasons for living in isolation.
One rainy day, Ana visits David in Bargi. Caught in the worsening weather, he takes her to Old Mother’s home for shelter. There, Ana is stunned to find that Sheila is her long-lost mother. A painful confrontation ensues. Ana accuses Sheila of abandonment, while Sheila explains she fled due to Ana’s abusive father. Old Mother urges Sheila to return to Jabalpur, but she refuses, fearing her past. Tensions escalate, and in the aftermath of a bitter argument, Sheila quietly passes away in the night.
Ana is devastated by her mother’s death and blames herself. Old Mother consoles her and travels with her to Jabalpur to share the news with her father. Meanwhile, David, consumed with guilt for bringing Ana to the house, isolates himself. Weeks later, he quietly visits the large house and finds Peter, now returned from London, working in the garden. Old Mother thanks David for posting the letter that brought her son back—though David never sent one. Puzzled, he realizes it was Ana who had written the letter.
Old Mother gently confronts David about his absence. Suspecting unresolved feelings between him and Ana, she misinterprets his silence as indifference. To clarify matters, she calls Ana to walk with David and explain everything. David is surprised to see her, and during their walk, Ana shares that she plans to go to London and become engaged to Peter. She attributes her decision to the kindness and support she received from Old Mother after Sheila’s death. David, heartbroken and unable to express his own feelings, quietly accepts the situation.
As he prepares to leave the large house, Old Mother hands him an envelope and asks him to deliver it to a family in the village. When David arrives at the house, he is surprised to see Eva, the woman he once tried to avoid marrying. Their reunion is unexpectedly warm. As they walk together afterward, they laugh about their first awkward meeting. By the time they part at the bus
station, a genuine connection has begun to form—hinting that a relationship once prematurely rejected might now have a second chance.
Savio_Paul · Realistic
This books is on par with large publishings that i read that are urban fiction. I got an ad in my FB feed for this book and was hooked I found it online and then read the first few chapters and was teally interested in the storyline and enjoyed the writing style I was SHOCKED that this isnt a published book!!! please cosnider submitting for publication so i can purchase! I would love to put this next to my other urban fiction books at my house!