The journey from the hushed prison walls to the chaos outside it, and ultimately the safety of home, has been surreal for Chaudhary.
It will take some time for him to adjust to life at home. He is still accustomed to the lights remaining on in his cell at night. So much so that turning the lights off in his room at night discomforts him.
“Complete darkness was something I am not accustomed to, and I thought I would trip and fall. In the morning when no one came to check on me, I again felt strange,” says Chaudhary.
Soft, delectable home-made chapatis have since replaced the bitter memories of prison food – watery lentils which sometimes had bugs, served with boiled rice having tiny stone granules.
He had seen pizzas and burgers only in newspapers advertisements.
“I did not know how these tasted. I had no idea about the food outside of prison or what’s a good breakfast for that matter. We were usually served Kanda-Poha (fried onion-beaten rice) and Upma (porridge made of dry roasted semolina). But that wasn’t tasty,” he says.
Source: Barandbench
