Tenement apartments at the beginning of the twentieth century were

spacious but crowded.
small and dangerous.
crowded but safe.
renovated and spacious.

so the story tells of someone named kaushik choudhuri, but he does not narrate the story, a girl named hema does. hema tells the story in a second person point of view because you (the reader) are supposed to be the boy named kaushik.

here's an excerpt i found: "i was ushered into the fitting room, your mother watching approvingly as i took off my coat and sweater and tried on the bra."

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